


The Importance of Ramen

by BearPlusCat



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Rated for Inuyasha's language, Sexual fantasy and content much later, Unresolved sexual tension with lots of teen appropriate fluff, scene with sexual violence Kagome/Mukotsu
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2019-10-01 17:41:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 55,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17248589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BearPlusCat/pseuds/BearPlusCat
Summary: Kagome is struggling to cope with balancing two worlds - the physical safety of modern Tokyo and the pressures of highschool, and the danger of the past. She has handled battles with demons and monsters in the Sengoku Jidai with the help of her friends. But how will she handle a confrontation in the modern era, with no weapon and friends to help her? And how can she cope with her growing emotional attachment to an oblivious dog hanyou?





	1. The Importance of Ramen

Kagome placed the large plastic bottle of antiseptic and package of swabs into the plastic shopping basket, and then consulted her shopping list again. They had run low on so many vital supplies that she carried in her medical kit recently, and she wanted to make sure that everything was restocked before the group set off on their next jewel shard hunt. The basket was already full to the brim of various creams, pain relieving medicines and bandages that would be useful once she headed back down the well. She hefted it onto her hip, groaning slightly as she tried to balance the weight, and shuddered to think how it was all going to fit into her yellow backpack. And she still had to get snacks! She knew a certain hanyou would be most upset with her if she didn't reappear bearing a considerable amount of ramen.

Snorting to herself, she made her way to the next aisle, browsing all the different snack options for her friends. After some deliberation, she picked up some matcha flavoured Pocky for Shippo, some strawberry mochi for Sango, and some teriyaki flavoured potato chips for Miroku. She needed to get a move on; she had somehow convinced Souta to help her carry all the shopping bags back to the shrine as Mama was busy with a guest, and she knew if she took too long he would get impatient and just go back home.

Kagome moved into the next aisle and considered all the different ramen options. Usually she bought the ones already packaged in a bowl for convenience sake while they were hunting shards, but there were some of the square packaged ones on special. And the multipacks with ten packages in each were on sale too. She looked at them, hesitating. Even though these would fit into her backpack much more efficiently, because they were square and not a bowl shape, how would they eat them when they were on the road? Suddenly remembering an item she'd seen in a previous aisle, she grabbed a few multipacks of ramen, and then headed back to where she'd seen some tin mugs. She placed five of them in the basket, staggering slightly at the weight. This definitely wouldn't all fit in her backpack – she might have to make a few trips when she went down the well, or perhaps she could keep all the food in shopping bags to take back instead of putting it into her backpack. Actually, if she waited long enough, Inuyasha would probably come barging belligerently through the well demanding she return, and she wouldn't have to carry it all herself.

Grinning at the idea, she made her way over to the checkout counter, placing all her items next to the register, and smiled pleasantly at the checkout lady. Her items were quickly rung up and placed into the plastic shopping bags, and Kagome handed over the money Mama had given her to the friendly woman, who pleasantly inquired after Kagome's family at the shrine. Kagome was just about to pick up her bags and make some inane remark about hoping that the woman would have a nice afternoon, when a jerky movement behind her made her turn her head, causing her eyes to widen in surprise.

It was a youngish man, dressed in black jeans, black motorcycle boots, and a black hoodie, with the hood pulled forward covering the top half of his face. The warm afternoon sun which streamed through the wide front windows of the supermarket gleamed on the beads of sweat marking his top lip, and also on the large serrated hunting style knife he had thrust out in front of him in both hands.

"Alright, nobody moves!", bellowed the man. "Empty all the notes in the cash register into a shopping bag quickly, and nobody gets hurt!"

Kagome unconsciously took a half step backward, getting herself into better fighting stance, causing the man to flick the knife in her direction threateningly. "Where do you think you're going, bitch!", the man growled, taking a step in her direction. He swivelled his head back towards the checkout lady and bellowed "Money, NOW!".

Kagome put her hands up in front of her in a non-threatening manner, hoping to placate the man. She could see behind the man's shoulder - a mother and her children, one of the mother's hands holding the chubby fist of a little boy, probably no more than three years old, and the other cradling a tiny baby, barely visible in a cloth sling. Kagome was terrified that the little boy might panic and grab the man's attention. He was already hiding behind his mother's voluminous patterned skirt, his tiny sneakers shuffling backwards, his wide eyes filling with tears. The man's yelling had obviously frightened him. She could see the mother trying to soundlessly draw her children back away from the danger, placing her son behind her, and curling her arm protectively around the baby. The mother's determined but fearful eyes met Kagome's. Kagome tried to reassure her with a tiny smile, and knew that she somehow needed to keep this man's attention on herself, without getting her and anyone else injured. She hoped someone in the store had heard the confrontation and had called the police, but right now she needed to keep a level head, even though her heart was beating so strongly it felt like it was leaping out of her chest. She flicked her eyes sideways to the cashier, who was quickly filling a grocery bag with cash, her expression neutral with her mouth stretched in a flat line. Good, the cashier wasn't panicking. Hopefully the guy would quickly take his money and run, and everyone would be fine. Kagome's tiny smile widened fractionally. It was all going to be ok.

"What are you smiling at, bitch!", yelled the man, suddenly drawing her attention back to the knife waving erractically in front of her. "You think this is funny do you!" The knife glinted again, the reflected light flashing, and she could see that the man's hands were shaking. Crap. He was frightened, and in Kagome's limited battle experience in feudal Japan, frightened people made bad decisions. She needed to wrap this up, fast, before someone got hurt. If she had her bow, she could just smack him across his arms and make him drop the knife, but her bow was five hundred years in the past. What would the others do? Sango would probably drop him with some expert kick, but Kagome had never learned how to do that, and now would not be a good time to try. Mirokou would use his hefty metal shakujo to knock him aside, Shippou would startle him with fox fire, and Inuyasha… well, Inuyasha would just straight out clobber him. Probably not the best option at this point. She could see the guy getting more and more agitated, this was getting dangerous. She would just have to handle this in her own way, to the best of her ability.

Kagome kept her hands in front of her, trying to keep the guy calm, trying to buy the cashier and the mother more time.

"Hey, I wasn't laughing at you. Um, I was just thinking of a friend, you know. I... I was picking up groceries for him, he's always a little grumpy, and when he's hungry and I've kept him waiting he's even worse. He really likes ramen, so I was getting him a whole new stash to keep him happy. Lots of different flavours. So far, I haven't found a flavour he doesn't like. Um, do you like ramen?"

Kagome knew she was babbling now, but the guy still had his eyes on her, so who cares if she sounded like a crazy woman? The mother had almost made it back behind a sturdy wooden stand that displayed potatoes and onions. Kagome was thankful, the little family group should be safe there until this was all over. The cashier was still calm, although her hands shook slightly in her effort to meet the man's shouted demands to quickly finish emptying the till. Kagome started inching slowly to the left, trying to get nearer to her bags of groceries, never breaking eye contact.

"I've got a knife pointed at you, and you're thinking of fucking ramen?", the guy asked her, looking at her incredulously. Suddenly, in the distance, they could hear the sound of sirens. The cashier let out a frightened squeal when the guy made a lunge for the plastic shopping bag that she had just finished filling with notes. Unfortunately for him, his sudden grab split the thin white plastic, sending the paper banknotes flying into the air, fluttering around them like blossoms blowing in the breeze.

"Fuck!", he screamed, and turned, ready to run before the police arrived, but Kagome was in between him and the only exit. He was shaking violently now, his eyes wide in fear, and Kagome suddenly knew that he was beyond reasoning with. Time seemed to slow down, but she had no time to think. She shot out her left hand and grabbed the first thing her hand touched, thrusting it out in front of her protectively as the knife came straight towards her chest. She was pushed backwards by the violence of the thrust, catching her hip on the edge of a display board announcing today's special prices. Kagome's body twisted, wrenching the knife out of her attacker's hand. He took one wide-eyed look at her, half sprawled at the end of the checkout, and hearing the sirens getting even closer, he bolted out the door.

Kagome took a deep breath in, and sighed it out again. She was still running on adrenaline, and suddenly she longed to be instantly on the other side of the well, in the peacefulness of Kaede's village, surrounded by her friends. The last place she wanted to be was here in modern Tokyo, waiting around for police to arrive and answering questions. There were plenty of other witnesses here that could do that. She thrust the object in her hands back into the closest shopping bag, caught the terrified eyes of the cashier and the mother, who had now emerged back out from behind the safety of the vegetable stand, and in a shaky voice that didn't quite sound like herself, announced "Well, at least no one got hurt. Hope the rest of your day is better!", and strode quickly out the door, with her shopping bags clutched in each white-fingered fist.

Souta was still leaning against the brick wall of the supermarket, waiting outside for her. His large headphones covered his ears, and he was nodding to the beat of whatever music he was listening to. Looking up, he noticed Kagome walking out of the supermarket doors, and shifted the headphones downward to hang around his neck. He held out his hands to take some of the bags.

"Hey, sis? Is everything ok? I heard lots of yelling coming from inside the supermarket, and then this guy came pelting out the door."

Kagome grinned at him, her heart still beating frantically in her chest. She didn't want to frighten Souta, especially if he hadn't already noticed anything.

"Nah, nothing to get too worried about, just an irate customer", she replied cheerfully. "Do you think you could help me carry these bags straight to the well? I've decided I'm not going to stay for dinner, you know how Inuyasha gets when he's kept waiting for his ramen."

Souta snorted, and nodded. "No problem, Kagome. Mama was gonna make karaage tonight for dinner, so that just means there'll be extra helpings for me! Consider it payment for being your pack horse!" He grinned at her cheekily, grabbing a couple of grocery bags off her, and they made their way quickly back to the shrine.

Kagome stepped through the door into the dim interior of the small shed that housed the shrine's well, her battered yellow backpack already on her shoulders. She had restocked it with clean clothes, study materials and toiletries this morning before school, knowing she would return to the village this evening, and had left it waiting in preparation near the back door. Thankfully, her preparations made for a quick getaway, as she was able to scoop it up and holler a quick goodbye through the door to her Mama and Grandpa without them asking too many awkward questions. Her mother had some sort of sixth sense where the emotional well-being of her children was concerned, and Kagome really didn't want to delay her return to the village any longer.

Picking up the shopping bags dumped on the dirt floor by Souta just a few minutes earlier, she dropped into the well, feeling the familiar stomach-churning pull of dropping back five centuries, and landed at the bottom of the well in Inuyasha's time. Now that the adrenaline of the shopping incident was beginning to wear off, she was starting to feel a little shaky. There was no way she could carry four heavy shopping bags and the backpack up the ladder to the top.

"Inuyasha?", she called out hopefully, crossing her fingers mentally that he would be waiting for her as usual at the top of the well.

"About time, wench", he called back grumpily, and dropped down into the well beside her, with a dull thump. He eyed the extra shopping bags hungrily, and she grinned at him, glad to be back.

"Help me get all this stuff up out of the well, and you can have a serving of ramen tonight for dinner", she smiled at him. "I bought extra, so there should be plenty still left for when we head back out to look for jewel shards."

"Keh. My idea of plenty and yours are totally different", grumbled Inuyasha, rolling his eyes at her, but he didn't complain as he bent down low so that she could climb up onto his back, still wearing the backpack. He clutched two shopping bags in each clawed fist and nimbly jumped to the top of the well, landing in the soft uncut grass. Kagome sniffed appreciatively, breathing in the pollution free air, admiring the late afternoon sunlight and the chirping sounds of the crickets in the long grass around them. It was good to be back after three days of being stuck in a stuffy classroom, trying to fill her head with an eye watering quantity of facts.

Inuyasha plopped down cross legged into the long grass, disturbing a few grasshoppers and cabbage white butterflies, and began rummaging in the plastic shopping bags, while Kagome hefted the heavy backpack off her shoulders. He pushed aside the two bags containing medical supplies, and eagerly tipped out one of the bags that contained mostly ramen. Kagome stretched, rubbing her shoulders, glad to have been able to put down her heavy backpack. Her modern history textbook really was ridiculously heavy.

"Oi, Kagome…"

"Mmm?", she replied, rubbing her neck to get out the kinks.

"Why does my ramen have a fucking knife sticking out of it!?" Inuyasha growled suspiciously. "And…" he sniffed the knife, and then rapidly jumped to his feet, dropping the ramen encased knife and sniffing her instead. Kagome spluttered at him, wanting to walk backwards, but unable to, as the edge of the well was behind her. Inuyasha put a halt to his sniffing when his attention was drawn to a small rip and stain on her school shirt. With a low growl, he jerked the hem of her white uniform shirt away from the waistband of her green school skirt and started lifting it, trying to peer underneath. Kagome slapped at his hands frantically in embarrassment.

"What do you think you're doing, you jerk!?", she screeched, continuing the slapping motions of her hands as he refused to give up the hold on her shirt.

Inuyasha glowered at her, refusing to give an inch. "There's blood on the knife Kagome. Your blood."

Kagome's eyes widened, and Inuyasha yanked her shirt up again. Just to the left of her sternum, near the scalloped edge of her once pale pink bra, was a shallow gash which had already stopped bleeding. The small amount of padding in her bra had seemingly soaked up most of the blood, stopping it from staining the front of her shirt apart from a small smear. The skin around the gash was bruised, already starting to turn a deep purple. Kagome looked down at the injury she hadn't even realised she had, starting to feel a cold sensation wash over her, as well as a prickling feeling along her scalp, and suddenly decided it would be best for all concerned if she sat down. She plonked unsteadily into the grass and leaned her back against the side of the well, looking back up at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha glared at the knife plunged up to the hilt through the centre of the multipack of ramen with half an inch of the blade protruding through the package, and back to Kagome's suddenly pale face and the bruised slice in her skin, and then back to the knife. He could smell the sudden stench of sweat and fear that rolled off of Kagome, and he didn't like it, not one bit. He sat down next to her abruptly, leaning his shoulder into hers, and said gruffly, "Alright wench, explain."

Kagome rubbed the back of her neck nervously, pulling her shirt back down. "Well, I ran into a bit of trouble when I was shopping…". And she began to explain about the man and the knife, and the mother with the children. This wasn't going well. She could feel Inuyasha's shoulder trembling with suppressed anger next to her, and she knew the explosion was coming. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It was time to brace for impact in three, two, one...

"Of all the stupid, idiotic things you could have done, woman! As soon as you saw that knife, you should have bailed out of there!" Inuyasha jumped to his feet, and began pacing backwards and forwards in front of her.

Kagome glared back at him, feeling her own righteous anger building. She was tired of being called stupid, as well as weak, and frail and all the other half baked insults that Inuyasha had flung her way over the last few months. She was so going to sit him, but she was going to give him a piece of her mind first! Kagome leapt to her feet, bristling with indignation, and prodded him sharply on the chest with her forefinger.

"Weren't you listening at all?! There were children there, that could have gotten hurt! Souta was outside, if that guy had decided to chase me out of the supermarket, he could have gotten hurt! I… I thought I did pretty well, considering I didn't have my bow with me. Sure, he was a lot bigger than me, but the guy was human, Inuyasha. I'm used to fighting demons, and I thought… well, I just thought about what you all would have done. And not one of you would have run away! Especially not you! And… and... besides…", she finished lamely, suddenly running out of steam, "I would have had to leave all the medical supplies and your ramen… behind..."

Inuyasha scowled furiously, and then bent down and snatched up the large package of ramen with the knife still thrust through it and shoved it aggressively in front of her face. "Stupid girl! If not for this fucking bag of ramen, you'd be dead! That cut is right over your heart! Do you think groceries are worth your life?!" His free hand clutched her shoulder, squeezing slightly as tried to get his message across. Suddenly he dropped his hand and turned away from her, growling out her name in seeming frustration. "Aaargh! Kagome!"

"I know that, ok! Don't you think I know that?" Kagome slumped down against the well again like a deflated balloon, flopping her hands limply into the grass, and resting her head against her propped-up knees. All the emotional upheaval of the afternoon had drained her. She had never felt so heavy.

Inuyasha continued to pace aggressively in front of Kagome. He stopped suddenly, sniffed the handle of the knife, and then his mouth curled up in a disturbing fanged grin that held no humour.

"Keh! That fucker's scent is still on the handle. If I go down the well right now, I'm sure I could get him. That prick's gonna pay for threatening you!" He dumped the package on the ground, but just as he was about to jump down the well, he felt a slight tug on the leg of his hakama.

"Please…" Her voice was so quiet he could barely hear it, the pale hand on his red hakama was trembling slightly. Her face was still buried against her knees, her long black curls covering the sides of her legs, but he could smell the faint hint of salty tears. "Please… stay."

Inuyasha growled. His demon side wanted nothing better than to find that sorry sack of human shit and rend him limb from limb. He could do it. He was sure no one would miss that fucker. But Kagome had asked him to stay. She had said please. She was crying. Abruptly he reefed the knife from the package and hurled it into the forest with an angry roar, to get it as far away from him and Kagome as possible. Then he sat down and pulled her sideways into his lap, draping her legs across his thighs and wrapping his arms around her tightly, burying his nose in her scent and dark hair.

Kagome pushed her face into the furred red robe covering Inuyasha's chest, letting out a single heart-rending sob. He whined at her softly, stroking her glossy hair, rubbing his cheek against her. She gave a great sigh, then grabbed one of Inuyasha's silver forelocks, winding it around her finger.

"Do you know what I was thinking about when I walked home to the shrine from the supermarket?", Kagome began, hesitantly. Inuyasha stroked her soft hair, his claws combing through gently, silently waiting for her to continue. "I thought, for months, I've been battling bad ass demons and monsters, but I was almost taken down by some petty crim in a grocery store, in the future, where it's meant to be safer!", she breathed with a laugh, which sounded more like a sob. "You weren't with me. You... you wouldn't have seen me die. And you would never have known how... important you are to me." The hand in her hair stopped suddenly. "I needed to come back to see you. I need you in my life Inuyasha."

Abruptly, it seemed like the whole world had gone silent, had stopped spinning. Was her heart even beating? She felt a soft kiss, barely the weight of a butterfly, land briefly on the top of her head. "I need you in my life too, Kagome", Inuyasha murmured, so softly she could barely hear his voice. The stroking of her hair returned, and the world began to move again.

And suddenly, Kagome felt content. Just for a moment she was happy to forget about Naraku, about Kikyo, about the shard collecting, and was willing to just be a girl, Kagome, sitting with a boy (well, more than a boy), Inuyasha, sharing a moment together. She sighed peacefully, never wanting this perfect moment to end.

"You're never going to the supermarket without me again."

Kagome giggled, and twirled her finger in Inuyasha's forelock again, which glinted silver in the fading sunlight. "It really isn't usually that dangerous, Inuyasha. Something like this will probably never happen again."

"Keh. Probably. Fuck that. From now on, if you need to buy anything, you can do it when I'm there. And then you can buy twice as much ramen, 'cause I'll be there to carry it. Much better. I prefer my ramen un-fucking-stabbed."

Kagome giggled again. She looked at the sunset beginning to paint the feather like clouds scattered across the sky with hues of orange and pink. It would be getting dark soon. They should probably head to Kaede's hut and help with dinner. She was actually surprised that Shippou hadn't already appeared at the well demanding a treat like he usually did.

Suddenly Inuyasha pushed Kagome gently off his lap, and began rummaging in the bags again. Kagome smiled at him. "Are you that hungry already?", she grinned. But her eyes widened when she saw him holding the bottle of antiseptic, with swabs and a medium sized bandage.

"Inuyasha", she said uncertainly, "I really don't think…"

"Kagome, let me do this. If I can't hunt down that prick that hurt you, at least let me fix this", he demanded, gesturing towards her chest.

Kagome bit her bottom lip, and then nodded her assent. He plonked himself down next to her on his knees, and she shyly raised her ripped, slightly stained shirt up over her breasts, revealing once again the bruised slash in her skin near her blood-stained bra. Inuyasha tipped a splash of antiseptic onto the cotton swab, and then leaned back, holding his breath. "Keh, I'd forgotten how much this stuff stinks!"

Kagome started lowering her shirt. "Inuyasha, you don't have to…"

His free hand gently stopped the lowering of her shirt, and then pushed it up again. "I know I don't", he sighed. "But I want to Kagome. You're always taking care of me. Let me take care of you for a change."

He gently wiped the dried blood away from the edges of the cut, being careful of the bruised skin and inspecting it carefully to ensure there was no dirt stuck in the wound. He swiped it with antiseptic, and Kagome hissed a little at the sting. Inuyasha couldn't quite hold back the slight whine that had made his way into his throat at the small sound of her pain, and he apologised quietly. He carefully placed the sticky bandage over the top of the now clean gash, and lowered her shirt.

Looking down at his hands, still holding the used swab and empty bandage wrapper, he breathed out, shakily, "I'm sorry I yelled at you before. I was a little angry, but mostly I was…"

"Frightened", interrupted Kagome quietly, gently placing her own hands on top of his. "Yes, I was frightened too. I wasn't frightened at the time, but as soon as I saw that knife through the package when you pulled it out of the bag, I was terrified. Without my bow, there was nothing I could do. I can't use miko powers on someone that's human. I just reacted." She sighed. "I guess you're right, I really am stupid." Inuyasha bent his head trying to catch her eye.

"Kagome" he rumbled, in a voice that wasn't quite a growl, but demanded all her attention, "you looked at the situation. You used a weapon that was available to defend yourself. You did good. You came home alive. That's all anyone can ask for." Inuyasha stroked his thumb across the hand resting on top of his softly. Then, in a voice that was more like his usual blustering self, "But, if you like, we can talk to Sango about teaching you some better hand to hand techniques you can use if you ever get in a situation like that again. Which ain't gonna happen, because I'll be there to punch the fuckers first."

Kagome smiled, and got to her feet, straightening her green school skirt and flicking stray blades of grass off the fabric with brisk swipes of her hands. The sun was just starting to disappear beyond the horizon. It was time to go. She bent down to reach for her backpack, but it was already on Inuyasha's shoulder, and the shopping bags were already in his strong clawed fists.

"Don't you want me to carry anything Inuyasha?", she asked, curiously.

"Keh. Don't get used to it wench", he huffed. "But, with all the effort you went through to get this stuff for us today, I'll carry it all back for you, just this once."

Kagome smiled at Inuyasha again, and playfully bumped him with her hip. She looked around, and noticed the ripped package of ramen still on the ground.

"Hey, you've forgotten the most important thing. My weapon!" She held the multipack of noodles aloft with a victorious flourish, and they began heading back to the village, side by side, with the dusk gathering around them.


	2. Mother and Daughter

Kagome took a deep breath after exiting the classroom, and took a long drink from the water bottle she retrieved from the side pocket of her backpack. Her clothes were sticking to her, the humidity today was a killer. The heat of the summer sun reflected back off the concrete and bitumen outside, making her feel even hotter and stickier. At least there was a slight breeze, fanning her dark hair held back in a high ponytail, and helping to dry the sweat that had collected on the back of her neck.

She'd been coming to a class whenever she could for the last few months, and had been practicing hard whenever she got some time to herself, which admittedly, wasn't that often; Inuyasha had been sticking to her like Myoga the flea demon on a freshly offered neck. But, she really felt that it was making a difference.

Kagome slung her backpack over her shoulder, grunting slightly at the heavy combined weight of school uniform, textbooks and homework, and began the short walk back to the shrine. She remembered how she had found the class, thanks to the internet search she'd done as soon as Inuyasha had allowed her to return to school after the incident at the supermarket. She smiled wryly at the memory. That had taken some convincing. He'd gotten it into his head that perhaps she didn't need to return to school at all, and all that 'studying and shit' could wait until after they'd beaten Naraku. Finally, it was her promise that she would only go to school and back, and that he could come and check on her any time (bar entering the school of course), that made him agree to let her travel through the well at all. That, and the promise that he could come for dinner every night she was in modern Tokyo, and she'd tell her mother not to make curry.

She paused at the long flight of stone steps that marked the entrance to the shrine and let out a deep sigh. That attack by the man with the knife had thrown her more than she'd wanted to admit to Inuyasha. On their walk back to Kaede's she'd asked him not to let the others know about the attack, because it was all over now, and was hardly worth worrying about. He'd arched a dark eyebrow at her, but grunted an affirmative response. She still had the occasional nightmare about the man with the knife, nightmares which ended with things not going so well. It had actually puzzled her for a while why she found it so upsetting, when much worse things had happened while searching for jewel shards, but had finally concluded that usually, she'd had her friends with her, or was confident they would be coming. That time, she had been totally on her own, with no help to fall back on.

She had toyed with the idea of asking Sango for self-defence lessons, as Inuyasha had suggested, but shyness held her back. Sango was so good at fighting, and Kagome was sure she would just make a fool of her clumsy self. Sango no doubt would be kind and patient, but Kagome could just imagine Inuyasha laughing at her every time she landed on her butt. It would just give him another chance to make cutting remarks about 'weak humans'.

Kagome knew that Inuyasha had promised to protect her, but there would be times when he was needed elsewhere. She had come to depend on him, rely on him, and even though she trusted in his strength, it was important for her to trust in her own strength as well. How often had she put the whole group in danger when she'd been kidnapped by some demon sent by Naraku when they were busy fighting as a group?

Kagome began her long climb up the steps to the shrine, passing under the shadow of the red Torii that marked the entrance into sacred ground. The stone steps radiated the afternoon heat, and she groaned as she forced her sore leg muscles to continue moving. She guessed comparing her fighting abilities to Sango was stupid, because Sango had grown up learning to fight in the yokai taijiya village. Anyway, it wasn't her goal to become a full-on hand-to-hand fighter like her friend the demon slayer. Kagome knew her skill with the bow and her miko powers were important in their battle to bring about the end of the Shikon no Tama. However, she was determined not to play the part of the damsel in distress needing rescue any longer. When she started her internet research on self-defence, and found the short video on the Krav Maga Tokyo website, showing a slight Serbian woman around the same build as herself take down and escape from a male attacker much bigger and stronger, she was sold. Especially when she read some of the FAQ's on the website, that explained Krav Maga was not about sheer strength or power, but a combination of physical skill with mental self-defence determination.

Kagome had realised after the first lesson, that it was this mental determination that she really needed to work on. Sure, she wanted to track down the shards, because she felt responsible for bringing the Shikon no Tama back to feudal Japan, and the split into shards was her fault, even if it was an accident. But her upbringing at the shrine had left her totally unprepared for her role as a miko in the Sengoku Jiddai. She helped Grandpa and Mama out during festivals, dressed in the traditional red and white, selling lucky charms and answering visitor questions. She even knew the steps to the Kagura dance. But the difference between her role as a part-time trinket seller in a colourful costume in modern Tokyo, and the militant role she needed to fulfil in feudal Japan, was staggeringly different. She had never learned to fight, and her nature wasn't naturally aggressive. Kagome had always wanted to find allies rather than make enemies, and to her a peaceful solution was always the best one. At the beginning, she only joined the search for the Shikon shards in a desire to be helpful.

In that respect, she was different from all her friends. All of them had a deeply personal reason to want the destruction of Naraku. All of them had lost family, loved ones, and in Sango and Inuyasha's case, that loved one was paraded in front of them in a half-dead travesty of the person they once were. Kagome made a small sound of unhappiness, pausing under the dappled shade of the Goshinboku in the middle of the compound. She rested her hand on the rough bark of the tree, looking up at the rice straw shimenawa wrapped around the trunk, and the smooth patch of bark above it which showed where a lonely hanyou had been pinned by an arrow for fifty years. The white fusa tassels on the shimenawa rope fluttered in the breeze, and the cheerful tinkling sound of the glass furin bells that her Mama always hung in the windows during summer time were in a direct contrast to her mood. Kagome was no huge fan of Kikyou, but she wasn't heartless. She could recognise the grief caused by Inuyasha and Kikyou's situation, even though it hurt her deeply every time he left to see the undead miko.

Kagome walked through the back door of the house, dropping her backpack near the entryway, and placing her sneakers neatly in the rack. "Mama?", she called as she didn't hear any movement in the house. "Souta, Grandpa, anyone home?" A note on the kitchen table explained everyone's absence. Grandpa had gone to visit a friend, Mama had taken Souta to soccer practice, and they would be back soon. Dinner was cooking on the stove. Kagome smiled at her mother's organisation, and giggled at the note, where Mama had underlined 'tell Inuyasha it's stew and not curry!'

No doubt Inuyasha would arrive just before dark like he usually did, just in time for dinner. Kagome walked tiredly up the stairs to her room to remove the sweaty t-shirt and leggings she had changed into after school for the self-defence class, her thoughts moving back to her dog-eared boy. She had meant every word she had said to Inuyasha at the well that day. She had decided to come back and stay by Inuyasha's side, and she would not make him choose. This was even more of a reason to learn to protect herself. If, and she felt her eyes fill with tears just thinking about it, if for some reason, Inuyasha did choose Kikyou over her before the fight with Naraku was finished, she needed to be able to defend herself against both human and demon opponents. Even if it was just enough to keep an attacker at bay until Sango or Mirokou reached her, or to give her time to access her miko powers. She needed to be able to bring aggression into a fight when needed, rather than just relying on indignation and anger as fuel. Like fear, anger didn't always lead to the best decisions in high pressure situations, and if she was going to do her part to bring Naraku down, she needed to keep a level-head. Her love for Inuyasha, and her faith in Sango, Mirokou and Shippou would keep her strong.

Kagome piled her long dark hair on top of her head in a messy bun, and then sighed blissfully as she sank into the hot bath, enjoying the smell of the herbal bath salts she had added to the water to help combat sore muscles. Her arms still ached from the extra bow practice she'd been doing each evening before dinner. Thankfully Grandpa had a close friend who was a member of the local Kyodu group, who had managed to secure her a traditional bow and bamboo practice arrows without too much trouble, and she'd been working on improving her speed and accuracy. After adding on the exertion of this afternoon's Krav Maga class, every muscle in her arms and legs throbbed.

Having the house to herself was the perfect opportunity to relax in a hot bath, which she planned to soak in until almost dinner time. Mama had already set the rice cooker, and the stew was bubbling away on the stove, so all she had to do before her family got back was set the table. She stretched her left leg high in the air, feeling the aching pull of the taut muscle on the back of her thigh. The sudden breeze on her damp skin was the only warning she had to announce the presence of a grumpy hanyou sliding the bathroom door across with a thump.

"Gaah!", shrieked Kagome, lunging for the bath towel waiting on the wooden stool next to the bath. Bath salts might be relaxing, but unfortunately, they didn't offer the concealment properties of her usual bubble bath.

"Oh, your home wench", muttered a flustered Inuyasha, who at least had the decency to shut his amber eyes after gawking at her momentarily, then hastily turning around. "Your mother and Souta just got back but she wasn't sure if you were home yet, which is pretty odd, considering school finished hours ago?!"

"Didn't anyone ever teach you to knock!", groused Kagome, trying to cover the majority of her bare flesh without getting her towel wet. "You're always bragging about your sense of smell, you should have known I was in here, now get out!"

"That bath stinks!", returned Inuyasha with a low growl. "You're lucky I'm still standing. What's in it, anyway. The stuff you usually put in your bath smells like cherry blossoms."

"How do you… never mind." Kagome reached cautiously for the thin green bottle that held the bath salts with one arm, still trying to protect her modesty with the towel in the other, even though Inuyasha still had his back turned. She tilted it slightly so she could read the tiny writing stretched down one side. "It's got juniper, birch, clove, lavender, thyme, chamomile and sea salt; it's meant to be good for aching muscles".

Inuyasha almost turned his head to gape of her, and then thought better of it at the last moment. "Aching muscles? Keh! No wonder I couldn't smell you with all of that piled up on top of each other. You smell like a fucking forest! I liked the other one better."

"Thanks for the tip Inuyasha, now will you get out!

"Not until you tell me why you didn't come straight home from school like you promised", Inuyasha growled. "We had a deal, wench!"

Kagome sighed. This was precisely why she hadn't told Inuyasha about the self-defence class. Well, mostly. There was one tiny part of her that had wanted to keep it a secret so she could surprise him with how well she could look after herself the next time a dangerous situation arose, but she knew she needed a lot more practice before then. She was still learning, and even though she had a lot of the moves memorised, they needed to be instinctual, so she wouldn't hesitate when threatened. And another tiny part of her was worried he might belittle her progress, and crack her slowly growing self confidence in the strength of her body.

"Um, I just stopped on the way home from school. There's a… project I'm working on."

"What, you went to the library, with those friends of yours?", queried Inuyasha, quite familiar with the concept of a library and books being required for projects. A sudden possibility occurred to him, and turning his head slightly towards her, he snarled out, "You're not going to the library with that Hobo guy, are you!"

"No, no, it's nothing like that", corrected Kagome quickly. "It's something I'm doing by myself. It's more of a… personal project."

"What the fuck does that mean?!", said Inuyasha, turning his head even more.

Kagome let out another squeal, splashing the green tinged bathwater over the side as she sat up and dropped the bath salts, clutching the now wet towel to her naked chest. Inuyasha's white dog ears flattened onto his head at the high-pitched sound.

"Can you just get out!" she shrieked. "I promise, I'll explain everything to you as soon as I've had my bath and I'm dressed. Please!"

"Keh. Fine. Your mother said dinner will be ready in half an hour. If you're late, I'll eat yours", grumped Inuyasha, stepping back out of the bathroom, and sliding the door shut behind him with a bang.

Inuyasha stomped down the stairs, back towards the kitchen, muttering under his breath.

"Inuyasha dear", called Kagome's mother, as she stirred the stew on the stove, "why don't you wash up before dinner. If Kagome's using the bathroom, you can use the sink in here."

Still muttering under his breath, Inuyasha turned the tap and rinsed his hands under the water. Then he remembered from previous experience he was meant to use 'soap', so he tried again, pumping the gooey white liquid in the container next to the sink onto his hands before running them under the water again.

"Is there something wrong dear?", inquired Kagome's mother, impressed by the angle of Inuyasha's dark eyebrows, and the fact that he gave off the impression of swearing without saying any actual words at all.

"Kagome promised me that she would come straight home from school every afternoon. She promised me!", Inuyasha snarled. "And now she says she's working on some stupid… personal thing. She promised me that she would come straight home so she would be safe!"

"Inuyasha, Kagome has been travelling between home and school since she was a little girl. There's no reason to worry about her when she's here" Kagome's mother replied with a smile. "Something's more likely to happen to her when she's in your time".

"Yeah, but I'm not here with her!" he growled. "She's so clumsy, and trouble just finds her all the time. It's hard work keeping her safe."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled at Inuyasha again. "I'm sure you do a wonderful job of keeping my daughter safe in your time, Inuyasha. I'm very grateful to you". She sighed. "I don't think I would be able to allow her down that well at all if not for knowing that you were there to protect her. But", she looked at Inuyasha with a knowing grin, "I think you're selling my daughter short if you don't think she's working on getting better at protecting herself."

Inuyasha looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "What do you mean?"

Mama Hirugashi put down her wooden spoon, and switched off the heat underneath the stew, putting the lid back on the pot to keep the warmth in. "Come outside for a moment, Inuyasha, and let me show you something".

She led Inuyasha outside, past the back of the house, to the space between the house and the back fence of the compound, which was furthest away from the public area of the shrine. There was a fabric archery target set up, with bales of hay behind it. The target was so filled with holes that it was tattered, barely holding together, but Inuyasha could see that most of the holes were pierced through the centre of the target.

"Kagome practices out here for two hours every day that she's home in our time before dinner. Grandpa had to tell her to get off the roof yesterday – she said she was practicing her shots from a different angle. And Souta has been timing her. Last week she managed twenty arrows in five minutes – all of them hit the target."

Inuyasha raised his eyebrows. That was impressive, even for someone that had been practicing archery since they were young. To his knowledge, the first time Kagome had picked up a bow was just before she shattered the Shikon jewel, when they had been chasing that Dancing Corpse Crow. He knew that her archery skills had improved, she rarely missed a shot now, but he hadn't really thought about how she was getting better.

Inuyasha looked at the ground in front of the target. There were two soft mats on the ground. Surely she wasn't sleeping out here? No, whenever he had visited at night she was either studying or panicking about studying at her desk, or tucked up asleep in her bed in her room upstairs. This was puzzling. "What are the mats on the ground for?", he asked Mama Higurashi.

"In the morning before breakfast she comes out here to meditate, trying to decrease the time it takes to bring up her miko powers. And she practices her self defence routine". When Inuyasha looked at her curiously, she said, "Didn't you know? She's been attending self defence classes every afternoon after school."

Inuyasha's eyes opened wide in surprise. "No, she didn't tell me", he breathed. And then he felt irritated. Why would she be learning to protect herself without him. He had thought they had talked about this. He knew that Sango would have no problems helping her. Why would she talk to some outsiders for help, without asking them first?

Mama Higurashi watched the different emotions chase across Inuyasha's face. She chuckled at his apparent frustration. "Let me tell you something about Higurashi women Inuyasha. We're stubborn".

"Keh", smirked Inuyasha. "Tell me somethin' I don't know."

Mama Higurashi laughed. "Yes, we're stubborn. We don't like to lose. We don't like to lose face. But even more so, we don't like to feel like we're a burden on anyone. We want to do things by ourselves, find solutions by ourselves." Inuyasha sensed her emotions turn inwards, from pure cheerfulness to remembrance tinged with sorrow.

"When my husband died", she began softly, looking towards the ground, "a lot of people expected me to fold, to fail, because I they thought I would be weak." She suddenly stood up straighter. "But they were wrong. I was strong because my children needed me, and because I knew that my husband had faith in me, even if he was no longer physically here with me. He had always said so". She smiled. "We were an equal partnership in the truest sense of the word. We had respect for each other's abilities."

Mama Higurashi turned her brown eyes to look into Inuyasha's amber ones. "My Kagome is the same. She doesn't want to be a burden to you Inuyasha, or to her family. I've seen her come home from your time exhausted, hiding scrapes and bruises, but still trying hard to study, doing work in days that other students have had weeks to do, because she doesn't want to let her family down. And when she's not working on schoolwork, she's studying first aid books, so that she can be helpful to you all when you get injured. Without warning Mama Higarashi's shoulders slumped, and Inuyasha was horrified to smell salty tears as they filled her eyes. "And now she's doing her best to learn how to fight, so she can help you more, to not be a burden on you, because she considers you to be her family too". Her bottom lip trembled and her voice shook slightly. "She works so hard Inuyasha."

Inuyasha didn't know what to do. Stupid fucking human emotions. He felt like running away, but he really liked Mama Higurashi, who had always been kind to him, who had never looked down on him for being less than human. He tried to think what Kagome would do. Hesitatingly, he brushed one clawed hand against her shoulder, and gave it an awkward pat. "Don't cry", he said uncomfortably. "I can't stand it when Kagome cries, and when you cry it's almost as bad."

Mama Higurashi smiled at Inuyasha through her tears, and dried them quickly on her sleeve. "Thank you dear. I'm not really crying. I'm just… very proud of my daughter." She turned back towards the house. "Let's go back inside, it's time for dinner."

Inuyasha paused to look at the beaten up target, and the mats on the ground. "Yeah, I'll be there in a minute." When he was sure Mama Higarashi had gone back inside, he made his way over to the Goshinboku, and leapt up into its branches.

He had a lot to think about. He had always treated Kagome's excursions back to modern Tokyo as her slacking off, wasting time studying for stupid school, when she could have been with him doing the real work of recovering the jewel. And, he admitted to himself, he missed her when she was here. Even more so, since she had been injured at the supermarket.

He hadn't wanted to admit to Kagome how much the thought that she was attacked here in the modern world had frightened him. He'd even tried to convince her that she didn't really need to come back much at all; school could wait until they'd completed their quest, and they could both come back occasionally to see her family and stay for dinner. He groaned, remembering that argument. She had got much better about using the beads against him, and no longer used them every time she got embarrassed or annoyed. But during that spat, he had eaten a three course dirt dinner, complete with a mud cake dessert.

Inuyasha's eyes roamed out over the city skyline. A plane roared overhead, and he flattened his ears against his silver hair in annoyance. Even though he hated the stench of the modern city, he was impressed by lots of things that happened here. In the past, humans died from fevers, infections and broken bones that were treated easily here. Rooms could be made cold or hot, light or dark, by pressing a button, and there was that tiny room in the kitchen that kept food fresh, even on the hottest day.

But since that afternoon when Kagome had come through the well injured and afraid, his confidence that she would always be safe in this time was shaken. He understood that humans could be bastards, better than anyone, no matter what time period they lived in. That would probably never change. But he couldn't stay here with Kagome the whole time she was here for school. What if Naraku attacked when he was gone, and Mirokou and Sango, or Shippou were injured? What if a youkai attacked the village while he was away?

He felt torn. He had a fierce need to protect Kagome, to be physically close to her, that was increasing the longer the hunt for the shards went on, and when he couldn't sense or smell her when she was on this side of the well, he was in a state of suppressed panic until she returned home again. Three days was his absolute limit, and now he felt the need to check up on her every evening, just in case. Even the pull of duty and care he felt for Kikyou, honouring the connection they had shared when she was still alive, no longer felt as substantial compared to the instinctive attraction he felt towards Kagome. He wasn't sure when that had happened; when the pull towards his possible future with Kagome held more importance than the wrench of his unhappy past with Kikyou.

A future with Kagome. That still seemed like an impossible dream, although he was sure they both felt… something. He smiled, his fangs glinting in the evening light. The Kagome he knew now was so different from the girl that had first come through the well and released him from the tree, complaining at every scrape, shrieking at every opportunity. Well, he allowed, she still shrieked sometimes, but only when it seemed to be fairly necessary.

Inuyasha thought some more on all that they had experienced together during their quest, watching the sun set from his perch high in the branches of the Goshinboku. The breeze fanned his long silvery hair around him, and he could hear the tinkling of tiny bells on the breeze, like little birds. Suddenly the back door opened, and he could see Kagome, dressed in short pyjamas standing silhouetted by the light behind her.

"Inuyasha!", she hollered, "if you don't come in right now for dinner, I'm going to feed yours to Buyo!"

He grinned. "Alright, wench, I'm coming." He still wasn't sure what to do about managing his fear of letting her stay in this time without him, but the thought that she was trying to make herself stronger made him feel better somehow. 'Yeah', he thought, as he jumped down and jogged across the compound to the welcoming light streaming out of the door into the gathering darkness, 'I'm pretty proud of her too.'


	3. An Unexpected Break

Kagome sat on the mossy bank, her feet swinging in the crystal-clear water. The warm summer breeze lifted her dark hair around her face, and she tucked the errant strands behind her ear. The spot that Inuyasha had picked for their lunch break was beautiful; a swift flowing stream surrounded by willows. The water swirled and bubbled around her legs, and the smooth pebbles were cool under her aching feet. Bright red dragonflies hovered amongst the reeds nearby, adding their buzz to the sound of the cicadas chirping amongst the elegant willow branches moving in the breeze. Shippou was curled up in her lap, his fluffy tail tucked over his nose, the dappled sunlight making spotted patterns on his fur. He was snoring gently.

Kagome looked down at her lap, smiling fondly at Shippou. She had brought a packed lunch back for each of her friends when she had returned through the well this morning, and although he had battled valiantly, Shippou's portion had obviously been too much for him. She looked up, checking the sun's position in the sky. They would have to get back to the search for the jewel shards again soon, but it felt good to stop and rinse off her sweaty feet. Although not quite as humid as modern Tokyo, it was hot here in the past too, and everyone in their group was enjoying a brief respite from the heat of the sun on the dusty road.

Kagome rubbed her eyes tiredly. She had finally managed to catch up on all her assignments, and had hoped last night that she would be able to catch up on the hours of sleep she had missed the previous two nights, but her sleep had been plagued by dreams. She couldn't even really remember them, apart from the vague impression that she had been running in all of them, chasing something and being chased herself, but she didn't know why. 

She rubbed her eyes again – they felt gritty and dry, and she felt vaguely ill, like she was coming down with a stomach bug. She really hoped it was just lack of sleep, she couldn't afford to slow everyone down now they were back on the jewel shard hunt.

The longer the hunt went on, the guiltier she felt about shattering the jewel in the first place. Every time they came across an animal or lower demon that had a shard that wasn't under Naraku's direct influence, she felt her gut clench. How many villages had been destroyed, lives been lost, because of her moment of inexperience with the bow? It was up to her to make it right, and to help the others as much as she could, even though she could never hope to be as skilled as they were. 

She sighed, gently stroking Shippou's tail as the petite fox kit slept on. She was so exhausted, she wished she could stay sitting on the bank forever. Her weary eyes were drawn to a tiny kingfisher, fluttering on a low branch on the other side of the stream. Its iridescent blue feathers caught the afternoon sunlight like a sapphire, as it repeatedly dived to catch even tinier silver fish, bashing them sideways on the branch before swallowing them whole. Kagome took a deep cleansing breath. Everyone on this earth needed to work for their dinner, and she was no exception. Her friends needed her help, and she would not disappoint them.

Inuyasha watched from his perch up in the tallest willow as Kagome gently placed Shippou onto a nest of moss, and padded over to check the recently refilled water bottles that were chilling in the cool stream. It had become part of their routine to build a fire and boil water for drinking as soon as they stopped near a flowing water source, ever since Kagome had explained how drinking water that wasn't boiled could make you sick. Inuyasha didn't quite understand her explanation about bacteria, but he had seen how whole villages could become ill from drinking polluted water, and he wasn't going to take any chances with his pack.

After Kagome pulled the bottles out of the stream, Inuyasha watched as she sat next to her backpack, and after placing the water bottles inside, produced a small towel which she used to dry her feet, and then tugged back on her socks and sneakers. She had returned through the well this morning without her usual school uniform, explaining her mother was tired of continually replacing it after it got ripped and stained. Instead, she was wearing blue cropped hakama that she called 'shorts', and a cherry blossom pink top with long sleeves.

Inuyasha examined her face carefully as Kagome pulled her hair up into a high ponytail, securing it with a band. She looked tired; her face was paler than usual, and the dark circles above her cheekbones made her usually vibrant brown eyes look listless. Inuyasha made an annoyed grumbling sound in the back of his throat. Yes, he was proud of her efforts to improve, but if she didn't rest, she was going to end up sick or injured. He wouldn't let that happen. He looked around to check on the rest of his pack. Miroku was sitting cross legged under a willow nearby, his eyes closed and shakujo resting across his knees. Sango sat close to him, polishing her hiraikotsu, softly humming, with Kirara perched on her shoulder, mewing softly.

Kagome looked up as she felt, rather than heard, Inuyasha land lightly next to her on the soft grass.

"Time to get going again?", she inquired, squinting up at him, his light hair and ears haloed by the bright sun behind him.

Inuyasha nodded, holding out a hand and wrapping his fingers around her slim wrist as she reached up to him, hauling Kagome to her feet.

"There's a village on the other side of that bluff over there", he said, nodding in an easterly direction, behind her. "If we leave now, we'll get there before nightfall."

"Sure, sounds good", replied Kagome cheerfully. Even though she had her sleeping bag, a futon inside an inn was always preferable to the hard ground, even if she did enjoy looking at the stars as she fell asleep. As she went to pull back her hand, Inuyasha noticed a dark mark just under her sleeve. He tightened his hold on her wrist.

"What's this!" he growled, gently pulling back her sleeve, showing a livid bruise that ran from the middle of her forearm up to her elbow. Kagome tried to twist out of his grip, but it was no use.

"Inuyasha, stop, please! It's nothing", Kagome fidgeted, looking down at the ground. "It's embarrassing."

"Who did this to you?", he growled menacingly.

Kagome sighed. "Stand down, dog boy. I did this to me. It's just a bow string slap bruise. Don't worry about it, it looks a lot worse than it is." She pulled her arm out of Inuyasha's grip, and picked up her backpack. "So, if we leave now, we'll get to that town before sunset, huh? I better go wake up Shippou."

"Stop trying to change the subject wench!" began Inuyasha. Miroku and Sango walked over to join in the conversation.

"Kagome, can I see?" asked Sango gently, pulling back the pale pink sleeve on Kagome's arm again. "Ouch! When did you do this?"

"Last night when I was practicing", sighed Kagome, pulling her sleeve back down over the bruise. "Really, you all need to stop making such a fuss. It's a common injury in archery. I iced it last night to keep the swelling down, and it will probably look worse before it's gone, but it's really no big deal!"

Miroku smiled at her. "Well, if it is as you say, Kagome, we should stop fussing. Although" he continued, gently tapping his forefinger on his chin in a thoughtful way, "I've never seen you injure yourself before like this when using your bow.

Kagome groaned, rubbing her forehead in exasperation. Why wouldn't everyone just leave this alone! "I was just tired, ok!", she snapped. "I was thinking about other stuff, and it was a moment of inattention, and my form got sloppy." 

She bent down, retrieving a leather armguard from her backpack. "I've brought a bracer with me to wear, so you don't have to worry about it. It won't affect my ability to take down an enemy." Kagome laced the protective leather on over her sleeve swiftly, covering from her palm almost up to her elbow. "There, is everyone happy now?!" Swinging her backpack over her shoulder, she picked up her bow and quiver and stomped over to where Shippou had just began to sit up, rubbing his eyes.

"Is it time to go?" he yawned tiredly.

"Definitely", growled out Kagome, encouraging him to jump up on her shoulder. She began marching off in the direction of the village that Inuyasha had mentioned, her fists by her sides, muttering under her breath.

"Is it my imagination, or does our Kagome sound a touch fatigued", mused Miroku, as he helped kick dirt on the fire so they could follow Kagome and Shippou a safe distance behind. "I would have hoped the three days she spent with her family would leave her well rested."

Inuyasha bristled. "She doesn't rest at all", he growled. "She does study, and archery practice, and self-defence classes and shrine duties and miko practice and school. She doesn't sleep much so she can catch up on schoolwork. The only good thing about her going home is her mother's cooking. I think she actually rests more when she's with us."

Sango gasped. "I had no idea she was doing all this. It's not like we rest very much when we're out shard hunting either. She's going to get injured if she doesn't look after herself properly. Why is she doing this to herself?"

"It's obvious isn't it?" growled Inuyasha. "You know what she's like. She always puts herself last. She likes fixing stuff. She broke the jewel so she needs to fix it. She wants to help us, but she's worried she's not good enough".

Miroku narrowed his eyes. "That's very intuitive of you Inuyasha, if your evaluation of her feelings is correct. But why on earth would she believe that she is not up to the task?"

"How would I know?" barked Inuyasha. "I don't understand half the stuff that goes on in that wench's head!" He ran his claws through his long hair in exasperation. "I talked to her mother, and she said something about stubbornness, and burdens, and… and families."

Sango looked towards the two figures who were getting further away, just about to move out of sight behind a gently sloping hill. "She's comparing herself to us, isn't she", she sighed. Inuyasha looked at her blankly.

Miroku nodded. "I feel I know what you are getting at my dear Sango. We grew up learning the art of defence and combat out of necessity. Kagome has grown up in a time of peace, where these skills are not necessary. She has never had the need to learn them, but now the current situation with the shikon jewel has thrust her into an ongoing battle which she feels she lacks the skills for."

Sango nodded, turning her face back towards the fast disappearing figure of Kagome. "Alright, we are her family here, and we need to help. What can we do?"

Inuyasha looked at them both, relieved that they understood the situation. "Sango, you can teach her some hand-to-hand stuff; maybe teach her how to use a knife for when she runs out of arrows." Sango nodded, looking determined. "Miroku, I know you can make spiritual barriers for defence, do you think that's something Kagome could do as well?"

"I'm sure of it", he nodded.

"Good", huffed Inuyasha. "But, we have to try and make it seem like the wench has come up with the idea of doing this with us herself. It needs to seem like she's helping us in some way, or she'll get all twitchy about it. I know she likes sorting stuff out herself, but we don't have time to wait. Something happened recently in her world that made her lose confidence in herself, so if we…"

Sango's eyes flashed. "What happened, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha gulped. "I promised I wouldn't say", he said firmly, eyeing the taijiya's grip on her hiraikotsu warily. "But, she needs us. She's forgotten that she can ask us for help too." 

Suddenly his head shot up, his ears swivelling rapidly in the direction of the girl and the fox kit. They were now out of sight, but he could hear a shrill yelp of surprise and fear from Shippou, and the dull thwack of Kagome's arrow hitting a target. "Fuck it", he growled out, "she's in trouble again!"

He leapt forward, leg muscles bunching as he put on a burst of speed that had Sango, Miroku and Kirara scrambling to catch up. Kagome and Shippou must have just turned around the bend in the road. As he got closer he could hear an eerie hissing, squeaking sound, that set his teeth on edge. He put on another spurt of speed, only to be confronted by a gigantic rhinoceros beetle that towered over Shippou and Kagome. The sound was coming from beneath the beetle's tough outer wings.

"Jewel shard behind its eyes", yelled Kagome, dancing backwards hurriedly as a spur shaped projection on one of the beetle's segmented legs came a little too close for comfort. Inuyasha could see one arrow wedged in between the shiny black segments near the monster's neck. "My arrows are just bouncing off; its shell is too hard. We need to get it in the air, so I can shoot under the wings!"

"I can't leave you alone for one moment, can I wench?!", roared Inuyasha, drawing his Tessaiga and glaring at the monster beetle. The beetle raised and lowered its enormous y-shaped horn menacingly as if in challenge, its mouthparts moving furiously. "Kagome, Shippou, get behind me, I'm going to try and tip it with the Wind Scar!" He readied his stance, as Kagome and Shippou moved to run behind him. All three of them were taken by surprise as the huge beetle suddenly flipped its outer wings upward, and with a deep thrumming buzz, launched itself into the air, catching up Kagome with the clawed protrusions on the ends of its front legs. Kagome's bow clattered uselessly on the ground as she fought to get free.

"Sango!", bellowed Inuyasha furiously, as he leapt to grab on to one of the beetle's legs as it quickly became airborne. The shiny black surface was slick in his hand, his claws scrabbling to get any purchase as he tried to swing himself onto the creature's head. He could hear Kagome's heart beating frantically, as she struggled to get free of the beetle's grip, swinging her legs wildly to try and get momentum. The beetle grasped her harder, pushing the barbs on its front legs into her arm and thigh. She shrieked in pain.

"Kagome! Stop moving, it's too high! Wait for Kirara!" yelled Inuyasha. He finally succeeded in swinging himself astride the huge beetle, as it bucked in the air, trying to throw him off. He could see Sango and Kirara flying directly under the beetle, with Mirouku and Shippou watching anxiously from the ground below. Kagome stopped her thrashing, and dangled in the monster beetle's grasp, blood oozing down her arm and leg.

"Doesn't look like I'm going anywhere fast", Kagome muttered back, gritting her teeth as the beetle shifted its front legs, still trying to buck Inuyasha off the back of its head.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that", cried Sango, who had asked Kirara to fly directly underneath Kagome. With a flash, Sango's katana sliced through the insect's front legs, dropping Kagome in a messy sprawl onto Kirara's waiting back. 

At almost the same moment, Inuyasha plunged the Tessaiga straight down up to the hilt into the gap in between the monster's head and thorax. Kirara leapt out of the way, fire trailing from her feet as she took Sango and Kagome safely back down to the ground. The droning buzz of the beetle's wings became intermittent, as the creature's head began to hang forward, and as the head parted company from its neck, the wings stopped moving altogether as the body began a rapid freefall toward the ground. Inuyasha leapt from the insect just before impact, sliding his feet as he landed in the long grass.

The head and body landed a good distance apart, but Inuyasha was taking no chances. He loped towards the head, and sliced it in half with his Tessaiga before the shard could assist in the insect's regeneration. The revealed shard glinted in the afternoon sunlight, amidst the goop oozing from the insect's cleaved head, the mandibles and antennae still twitching feebly.

Kagome slid from Kirara's back, ignoring Sango's plea to wait, dragging herself forward to the remains of the insect. Reaching down, she grabbed the shard in her fist, and would have fallen forward into the slime if Inuyasha hadn't grabbed her shoulders from behind to stop her descent.

"Still a klutz", he breathed out, drawing her backwards with one arm, holding her tight to his chest. Kagome sagged against him, her legs buckling, her head lolling backwards to rest against his shoulder.

"Quiet, you", she mumbled, closing her eyes. She felt sweaty and slightly sick, now that the fight was over, and she could feel blood still dribbling stickily down her leg, collecting in her sock. It felt vaguely ridiculous that they had just fought a giant version of an insect that Souta had once kept as a pet in his bedroom. She wondered idly what it would be like to have a day where none of them was bleeding. At least it was her this time, and not Inuyasha, Mirouku or Sango, which made for a change.

"Alright, let's get you cleaned up wench", said Inuyasha, lifting Kagome gently into his arms. Even though his voice was its normal brusque pitch, Kagome could feel his hands and arms trembling. She opened one eye to peer up at him as he carried her over to where Sango was waiting with the medical kit, Shippou unpacking bandages, swabs and ointments with the practiced air of someone who was very familiar with the task. Kagome lifted her uninjured arm to swipe her hand at his cheek.

"Hey", she said, trying to read his expression. His amber eyes glanced down at her and then looked away again, his ears drooping forward.

"I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough", he murmured miserably.

"Don't sweat it, dog boy", she smiled, trying to cheer him up. "You're just upset that I get to be the star of the medical show today instead of you. I'm already good at first aid; gives you guys a chance to practice on me. And we got another jewel shard."

Inuyasha huffed out a sigh, and placed her gently on the grassy bank of the low sloping hill, in between Sango and Shippou.

"Where's Mirouku?", inquired Kagome, looking around.

"He's doing a quick perimeter check", replied Sango. She placed pressure on the wound on Kagome's thigh, which was still bleeding. "Let's start bandaging you up, Kagome".

Kagome sighed. "Insects often carry diseases and bacteria, so these wounds are gonna have to be cleaned really well with salt water first. You'll find some in little plastic bags filled with it in the front section of the first aid kit."

Shippou looked at Kagome anxiously. "Won't that hurt, though?"

"Yeah", replied Kagome, smiling at him, "but it's better to do that now, than let them get infected later. You can help Sango, the quicker it's over, the less time I'll have to think about it, and then we can get moving again."

Without a word, Inuyasha pulled Kagome onto his lap. Kagome 'eeped' in surprise, and Sango raised an eyebrow questioningly at him.

"What!", he bristled, "I'm helpin'!"

Shippou dropped his anxious look to grin at Inuyasha mischievously, but silently fished the saline packets out of the first aid kit and handed them to Sango.

Inuyasha watched as Sango cleaned Kagome's wounds carefully. They weren't very wide, but looked deep, and he held his breath at her pained hiss as Sango irrigated them with salt water. At Kagome's suggestion she placed a piece of tape across each wound to hold them closed before bandaging them up. Inuyasha could feel Kagome drooping in his arms as the minute's ticked by.

"Hey, you okay wench?" he asked uneasily.

"Yeah", sighed Kagome, and yawned. "You ever have one of those days, where you think things would have worked out better if you'd just stayed in bed?"

"All the time wench, all the time. Especially since I met you, you attract trouble like nobody else."

"Hey", protested Kagome sleepily, her head already nodding forward.

Miroku arrived back from his check of the surrounding area, bending down to look at the patient.

"Was Kagome badly injured?" he questioned, taking in her closed eyes and limp pose in Inuyasha's lap.

"Not too badly", replied Sango, as she and Shippou packed up the medical kit, "but I think she's exhausted. What do you think, Inuyasha? Should we find somewhere close by to camp, or keep heading on to the village?"

"Village", replied Inuyasha, getting to his feet, with the sleeping Kagome still resting in his arms. "That carcass is gonna start attracting scavengers soon, and I don't wanna be anywhere near it with Kagome out of action. If you three ride on Kirara, and I carry Kagome, we can get there in an hour or two." He sniffed the air, glancing over towards the west, where dark clouds were building. "We should beat the storm if we leave now."

Miroku gathered up Kagome's backpack, Shippou picked up the quiver, and Sango the bow, unstringing it carefully so it would be easier to carry on Kirara's back. As Kirara bounded into the air, the four of them silently watched the hanyou striding towards the east purposefully, with Kagome cradled gently in his arms.


	4. Message in the Wind

Inuyasha strode through the bamboo forest, cradling a still sleeping Kagome in his strong arms. The wind was picking up, and the tall bamboo creaked and swayed in the hot breeze; the sweet pungent smell of ozone stinging his nose. The summer storm was closing in, but the village was not too much further away, and they should arrive before the rain began to fall. The others were probably already there.

The rushing sound of the wind in the leaves interspersed with the occasional knock of the hollow stems was soothing after the adrenaline rush of their short but intense battle with the shard infected beetle, and Inuyasha's soft pointed ears swivelled in his enjoyment of the sound. Small birds chattered their annoyance at his presence as he pushed between the leaning bamboo, shifting Kagome slightly in his arms to get a better grip.

"Inuyasha?" murmured Kagome sleepily, struggling to open her eyes.

"Go back to sleep, wench", answered Inuyasha, his voice gruff, but his hands gentle. Apparently eased by his response, she sighed tiredly and burrowed her face into his chest, bunching her small fists into the fur of his fire rat. Inuyasha felt an inexplicable need to purr as she relaxed in his arms. The soft rumble echoed in his chest, calming his mind slightly; the fact that she had been wounded while under his care had filled his thoughts with self-reproach.

He scowled as he continued to move through the forest, picking a path that would not jolt the treasured burden in his arms unnecessarily. Stupid Kagome. The ridiculous training regime she had forced on herself had exhausted her, and now she was injured, not badly, but harmed nonetheless. Probably scarred, judging by the depth of the puncture wounds left by the beetle.

Kagome made a small whimpering sound in her sleep, and he looked down at her in concern. She looked sweaty and pale, and he could hear her slightly accelerated heart rate. She had lost a fair bit of blood, especially from the thigh wound. He was pretty sure human bodies didn't replenish their blood supply at the same rapid rate that demons did. It was going to take her a while to recover properly from this, and he knew she would argue that they needed to get back to the shard hunt, and he would have to stop her. The corners of his mouth turned down. He really wasn't looking forward to eating more dirt.

Inuyasha did feel better after talking to Sango and Mirokou about helping Kagome train properly though. His conversation with Mama Higurashi had been weighing on his mind. Not that he wasn't still proud of Kagome for taking the initiative to improve her skills, but the way she had been going about it would have ended in disaster. He leaned forward to take in her cherry blossom scent but was disturbed by the smell of drying blood that clung to her injured arm and thigh; even though the wounds were dressed, her stained clothing still reeked of copper.

Inuyasha's nose quivered as another, more sinister, smell burst across his senses. He tensed, his ears twisted, trying to pick up the possible direction of attack, but he could hear nothing but the rushing wind and the distant rumble of the oncoming storm. This was particularly bad timing. With Kagome injured and without her bow, he would be battling alone. Nothing he couldn't handle of course, but his protective instincts surged; after failing Kagome once already today, he wouldn't let her be hurt again.

Laying Kagome down gently on her side on the soft ground at his feet, he stood tall, ears quivering, hand ready to draw the Tessaiga at a moments notice. His sharp eyes picked up a movement above in the steel grey clouds. The huge white feather danced on the swirling wind currents, and a delicately patterned kimono fluttered around the dark-haired demon flying high above. 

Inuyasha growled menacingly, crouching down to clutch Kagome to his chest defensively. As much as he hated to do it, they needed to hide. If Naraku found out that Kagome was injured, he might attack in full force to take advantage of her impaired ability to draw her bow. Hesitating momentarily, Inuyasha scanned the area to see if there were any closely growing bamboo culms nearby where they would be screened from hostile eyes.

It seemed he was out of luck. The feather suddenly turned, descending in swooping circles, and moments later the red-eyed demon landed gracefully about ten feet away. Tucking the suddenly smaller feather into her dark tresses, Kagura curled her mouth up at the corners in a taunting smile, tapping her closed fan gently on her pointed chin.

"Isn't this sweet!", she mocked. "A miko and her hanyou, out for a romantic stroll in the summer breeze. Although, it looks as if you've been a bit careless with her Inuyasha. Did you get a bit impatient with your nasty sharp half-demon claws?"

Snarling, Inuyasha hunched protectively over Kagome, ears pinned back, hair bristling. He swept his voluminous fire rat sleeves in front of her body, hiding her from Kagura's sight. Feeling Kagome's back muscles stiffen in response to Kagura's voice and smelling the sour stench of her sudden fear brought his rage to the surface. If it was a fight that Kagura wanted, then bring it on!

"Dear me!", simpered Kagura. "It appears I may have touched a nerve." She snapped her fan out theatrically and peered over the top of it at the still growling Inuyasha, her red eyes glowing in enjoyment at the response she had provoked in the belligerent half-demon. He was such fun to bait, because she always got a reaction. She fluttered her red and white fan teasingly, like a coquettish lady of the court, then flicked it shut again with a disappointed sigh. "What a shame I do not have time to play with you today hanyou. I am here simply to deliver a message."

Inuyasha softly pressed a clawed hand on Kagome's shoulder as an indication that she should remain still, then rose slowly and deliberately. He stepped over her to stand defensively in front of her prone body, his legs apart and shoulders squared. "A message from Naraku?" he snarled, tensing his claws and cracking the knuckles of his left hand, his sword hand never leaving Tessaiga's hilt.

"No, a message from myself", replied Kagura, eyeing the growling hanyou with composure. "Naraku is in hiding, but just because he is… indisposed, does not mean you should rest easy. Others are coming, others unlike your previous opponents."

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose and scowled. "You enjoy speaking in riddles Kagura?", he retorted. "Because that bullshit you just spouted don't make sense."

Kagura sighed, bending her gaze downwards to examine the sharpened claws on one dainty hand, as if the conversation bored her in the extreme. "I do not know the details hanyou, apart from knowing that Naraku is sending a new threat, and that they are different."

Inuyasha snorted derisively. "Why should I believe you, bitch. You belong to Naraku."

Kagura's red eyes flashed in anger as she fixed him with a steely glare, and then relaxed her gaze. "Believe, or do not believe", she replied in an aloof tone, swinging her fan around her wrist nonchalantly, "it is of no consequence to me. I am merely imparting information that I assumed would be of use to you. However, your ingratitude does not surprise me."

Inuyasha considered the demoness warily for a moment. Kagura had never revealed his night of weakness to Naraku, even though she had discovered it while battling Kouga; and had pulled her attacks purposely when he had broken Naraku's barrier at the castle with red Tessaiga. He sniffed her surreptitiously, trying to detect evidence of a lie. "Whose fucking side are you on, Kagura?

Kagura smiled at him, tilting her head to one side, her distinctive jade earrings catching the fading light as the storm clouds gathered above. It was not a pleasant smile. "Why, my own of course" she replied brazenly, parting her ruby red lips to lick her small fangs. She took the feather from her hair and flicked her wrist, increasing its size again.

"Well, since we have no time to dance, hanyou, I will take my leave." She placed her hand on the feather's quill, curling her fingers around it. "As if my time is ever my own" she muttered under her breath. It was only because Inuyasha was in a hypervigilant state that he heard her at all. She leapt gracefully back onto the full-sized feather and rose into the air, riding the storm currents, away in moments.

Inuyasha rumbled in annoyance. He was all worked up for a fight, but now Kagura was gone and he had nothing to take his anger out on. As soon as he had Kagome safely to the village, he would go hunting. He needed to run, to expend the surplus energy now coiled tightly in his muscles. The exhilaration of chasing down tonight's dinner would ease his frustration, and Kagome needed to eat meat to help her recovery. If he could bring down a small deer, or at least a few hares, it would supplement the dried food she had in her backpack. Providing dinner for his pack would provide some apology for not noticing the proximity of the monster beetle earlier that day.

Hearing a small noise behind him he turned, finding Kagome sitting on her knees, her mouth a thin compressed line, fists clenched at her sides. They were glowing with the same faint pink aura as her miko arrows. She was shaking in anger.

"Kagome?" questioned Inuyasha tentatively, trying to comprehend where her sudden rage had come from.

"That bastard!", fumed Kagome, getting to her feet unsteadily, her eyes locked on the spot where Kagura's feather had faded into the distance. "He never faces us himself; it's always those stupid puppets, or someone he's tricked or possessed to do his dirty work."

Inuyasha was surprised at her sudden ire. "Well, yeah, that's nothin' new though. He's always been like that."

Kagome continued to rage, pacing backwards and forwards, her fists still glowing with power. "He hides behind his barriers in safety", she seethed, ignoring his response entirely, "and every fight we have, Sango or Mirokou or… or you get injured! And now you will be in even more danger, because you don't know how to hold back!"

Inuyasha snorted. "So, don't matter if I get hurt, as long as I can…"

"Why do you do that?", Kagome interrupted, turning her indignant gaze toward him.

Inuyasha gaped at her. His wench was losing the plot. "Do what? I ain't done nothin'!"

Her eyes glistened. "Why do you discount your own worth like that? It matters to me when you get injured. It hurts me that you feel pain when you work so hard to protect us. Don't think I will let you throw yourself away Inuyasha!" She drooped suddenly, all her angry energy spent, and sank back to the ground, skin so pale that every slight freckle seemed twice as dark.

Inuyasha watched as a single tear gathered volume and slid slowly down Kagome's ashen cheek. 'Aww, shit', he thought, 'tears'. He plonked himself down in front of her, cross-legged, and she let her powers drain away out of her hands and flopped forward, resting her head against his shoulder.

"You really shoulda stayed in bed today huh, wench?" he teased, and sighed when there was no response. Placing one hand behind her head tenderly, he raked his claws through her tangled dark hair. "Kagome, you don't need to get all riled up", he said carefully, resting his chin against the top of her head. "All I meant was, I heal faster and easier than you and the others. It makes sense for me to take the hits. I know you don't like it, but it don't matter in the long run." He swallowed. "It hurts me when you are wounded, because I know it will take you longer to recover, and the pain will last longer. Sometimes it scares me how fragile your life is. I would take one hundred hits gladly, to save you from just one." 

He sniffed suddenly and looked down to the bandage on her arm, and then down to her thigh; both were slowly staining red. "Shit Kagome, look what you've done with that hissy fit you pulled. If you keep opening these up they're gonna scar."

Kagome yawned widely, ready to crash. She was so done with today. "Doesn't matter". She hesitated, then tilted her head back, leaning the weight into Inuyasha's cradling hand. She looked up into Inuyasha's amber eyes. "Does it matter?", she asked, suddenly nervous of his answer.

He grinned at her, tucking an errant wisp of hair behind her ear with his other hand. "Nah. Scars just show that you're a survivor". Then he grinned a little wider. "And a bad ass."

A sudden flash of light almost blinded them, with a deafening crack of thunder following almost immediately after. A solid sheet of water had them drenched in moments.

Inuyasha moved his face closer to Kagome's, his hand still cradling the back of her head. His eyes flicked down to her mouth, watching the rain flow down her cheeks and over her rounded lips, then back to her brown eyes, which were squinting slightly against the torrential rain.

"Hey Kagome", he breathed huskily.

"Yes?", she answered, hoping that what she had dreamed of for months was finally going to happen.

"I don't know if you've noticed", he grinned, mischievously, "but it's a little wet out. Care to join me for a run?"

For a moment, she was disappointed. But then she realised how much closer they already were, compared to how they had been a little over a year ago when she first petted those adorable silky ears after finding him pinned to the tree, just before he had threatened to kill her. 

Kagome smiled back at him, taking in the amber eyes, dark eyebrows, fanged grin and silver hair, darkened to grey by the pelting rain. She knew that she loved him, and in the last few weeks he had shown her that maybe, perhaps, this feeling wasn't totally one-sided. 

"I'd love to", she replied softly, placing her hand gently on his chest, over his beating heart. She giggled as he suddenly scooped her into his lap, his arms around her shoulders and under her knees. He leapt up and they were off, racing through the rain and the gathering darkness, the intermittent flashes of the storm lighting the way.


	5. Sisters and Brothers

Kagome opened her eyes, struggling to focus. Everything looked blurry as she fought her way to consciousness. She could hear the crackle of a fire, the occasional pop of the kindling in the flames a comforting familiar sound. She felt strong hands shifting behind her back, helping her sit up. The room suddenly tilted crazily, and she felt nauseous, sweat breaking out on her forehead. Her lips clenched shut as she felt her stomach roll. After a few moments it settled, and she leaned floppily like a rag doll against the hands and solid warmth behind her. An object appeared in front of her face. Squinting, she struggled to work out what it was, trying to get both her eyes and brain to focus.

"Kagome, you need to drink this." She vaguely recognised Sango's voice, although it sounded weird, like she was talking through a hollow tube. Kagome shook her head, trying to focus, and when the ringing buzzed in her ears, she wished she hadn't.

"Wah?", Kagome answered incoherently. She blinked her eyes rapidly, nose crinkled in frustration that she couldn't get the room to stay still.

"Kagome, you need to drink this tea. It's the one Kaede prescribes to combat the side effects of blood loss." She felt gentle hands tilting her head and felt the edge of a cup against her lips. She forced herself to swallow the mouthful of warm liquid as it trickled over her tongue. It was so bitter it made her want to retch.

"That's so gross", Kagome muttered, shivering in revulsion and poking her tongue out of her mouth repeatedly as if in the hope that it would get rid of the taste.

"I know", chortled a deep voice behind her. She could feel the rumble of Inuyasha's contained laughter against her back; she must be leaning up against him. "I always tell you that, and yet you still make me drink it. You gotta learn to take your own medicine Ka-go-me".

"Bite me, dog-boy", Kagome grumbled, her eyes screwed tightly shut, still struggling with the mouthfuls of foul liquid that Sango was helping her to swallow. She could hear a chuckling Miroku somewhere to her left and felt tiny comforting pats on her knee from little hands; at least Shippou wasn't making fun of her.

"My otousan always said that the worse a medicine tasted, the faster it would cure you. You'll feel better in no time Kagome", comforted Shippou. Kagome snorted in amongst her efforts to gulp down the bitter liquid. Her own mother had fed her a similar fib when she was younger to get her to swallow medicine, but she wasn't about to say anything disparaging about a memory that Shippou chose to share about his father. She did her best to smile in his direction, although it felt more like a grimace.

"Where are we?", she asked after having finally worried down the last of the disgusting tea.

"After assisting the village head man in the matter of an evil spirit that was lurking in his storehouse", began Miroku, ignoring the 'pfft' noise coming from Sango's direction, "he was so kind as to offer us the use of a hut they offer to visiting dignitaries".

"You're slipping monk", teased Inuyasha. "No one's been in this hut for ages. It reeks of dust and damp. I'd say somebody died in here years ago, and it hasn't been used since."

"No matter", smiled Miroku. "The use of it is free, the roof has no leaks and is keeping out the storm, and we've been able to use the firepit for cooking". Kagome looked as he gestured towards the flickering fire, where a metal pot hung from chains on a tripod over the flames, its lid rattling gently over the simmering contents within.

"I should probably check the stew", agreed Sango. She carefully lifted the lid from the pot and all of them sniffed the rich aroma appreciatively, even Kagome. Although her stomach still felt unsettled, the nauseous feeling was rapidly being replaced by a gnawing hunger.

Kagome looked around the small hut. Now that she had been sitting up for a while, she was able to pay more attention to her surroundings. She was sitting in her sleeping bag, with her back resting against Inuyasha's chest, his longer legs stretched out either side of her. Looking down at her clothes, she realised that she was wearing a fresh clean t-shirt, and the bandage on her upper arm had been changed. Her bottom half seemed dry also, and with a slight flush of mortification, she hoped Sango had been the one to change her clothing. 

She felt comfortable, even though her wounds still throbbed a bit, especially the one on her thigh. She would have to get up and walk on it soon, so her leg didn't get stiff. She couldn't afford to slow everyone down; they needed to get back to the shard hunt tomorrow, especially since… the sudden memory of who they had met in the bamboo forest had her stiffening, and she grabbed Inuyasha's hand that was resting on his thigh.

"Kagura! Inuyasha, have you…" Her sudden movement made her head thump, and she felt dizzy and sick again.

"Kagome, you need to eat first. You'll get sick if you don't". Inuyasha's grip on her hand was firm.

"No, no, we need to talk about Kagura; have you told everyone about what she said?!" She could feel her heart rate increasing; they needed to plan. For Kagura to come and warn them about a possible threat from Naraku it must be really bad! She felt a prickling in her scalp and a buzzing noise in her ears, and knowing it was a sign she would possibly pass out, she bent herself forwards, breathing heavily.

"Oi, Kagome, calm down!" Inuyasha's warm hand on her back was soothing; she could feel Shippou hugging her feet through the sleeping bag. His anxious jittery movements made her realise that she was frightening the little fox kit, so she forced herself to take deep breaths until she felt less wobbly.

"Sorry everyone", she said more calmly, sitting herself up gradually. "I just suddenly remembered, and it made me freak out a bit." She bit her lip at the concerned look that passed between Miroku and Sango. Everyone had enough to worry about without adding her to the list. The whole reason she was pushing her training was so that they didn't have to worry about her anymore. She sat up straight and plastered a smile on her face. "I'm good now."

Sango approached Kagome with a tin mug full of thick stew; meat and vegetables flooded with thick gravy. She looked from the mug back up to Sango, and down to the stew again.

"Wow, how long was I asleep?!"

"Coupla hours. Now, eat. I didn't go hunting rabbits in the rain for you to turn your nose up at it", Inuyasha rumbled grumpily. He shuffled himself backwards, so he was leaning against the wall of the hut, then pulled on the sleeping bag until he dragged both it and her over to lean on him again. "Eat wench! Or do I have ta get Sango to feed ya like a pup?!"

Sango giggled at Kagome's disgruntled expression as she served out stew for the rest of them. The little hut was silent for a while, apart from the crackling of the fire and distant rumbling of thunder, as everyone enjoyed their dinner and then had second helpings of the rabbit stew.

Kagome was the last to put down her empty mug with a satisfied sigh. Shippou and Kirara were already asleep, Shippou starfished on a blanket near the dying fire, his small rounded belly rising and falling accompanied by tiny snuffling snores. Kirara was tucked into his side, her twin tails resting primly over her eyes and nose. Miroku and Sango were exchanging cheerful banter while they tidied the cooking equipment away, and Inuyasha seemed to be happy to stay silent behind her, Tessaiga propped against his shoulder.

Her belly now pleasantly full, Kagome didn't feel dizzy anymore. In fact, apart from still feeling a little tired and the throbbing of the wound in her thigh, her body was feeling pretty good. What a shame that her brain continued going into overdrive. She hadn't been awake for the entire conversation between Inuyasha and Kagura; had only woken when she felt him hunch over her and growl protectively. They needed to discuss and analyse what Kagura's message might mean. Was it a trap? Was Kagura trying to divert their focus from Naraku by hinting at a fictional foe? Or was she trying to be their ally in her own roundabout way. She twisted her hands together in her lap nervously as her thoughts bounced around, the worried look shared between Miroku, Sango and Inuyasha going totally unnoticed.

Miroku cleared his throat. "Kagome", he began carefully, trying to get her attention.

"Mmm?"

"I… that is, we", he continued as he gestured to include Sango and Inuyasha, "can't help but notice that lately your mood seems a little…" He faltered as Kagome narrowed her eyes at him, but continued bravely, "tense."

Kagome snorted. "Ya think?", she mumbled, eyeing him intently. "In case you hadn't noticed Miroku, these are quite stressful times. They don't call this time period the Sengoku Jidai for nothing."

Miroku nodded. "Yes, that is quite true. But, if you'll forgive me for pointing it out, there seems to have been a definite increase in the intensity of your emotions lately."

"We're worried about you Kagome", added Sango. "Inuyasha said that you haven't been resting properly when you return to the future to attend school."

Kagome delivered a swift elbow to the fire rat covered ribs behind her. "Oi!", Inuyasha protested, grabbing the uninjured arm that delivered the blow, "it's for your own good, stupid! When you go back to the shrine, whaddya think everyone else does. They stay at Kaede's and get some sleep and relax. They don't spend hours and hours training on top of schoolwork and shrine stuff without sleeping!"

"You don't understand…"

Sango knelt beside her and held Kagome's twisting fingers gently in her own. "We understand better than you might think Kagome. Do you think I became a taijiya overnight? That Miroku learned to wield his shakujo and his abilities as a monk without patience and practice? That Inuyasha was born knowing how to deliver a sankon tessou with his claws?"

Kagome's bottom lip trembled at the kind look on Sango's face. "But that's why I have to train harder. I can never catch up. You're already so good at this, all of you. I just get in the way most of the time. You waste time rescuing me when we should be chasing jewel shards. Demons target me because they can sense I'm the weakest in the group."

"Bullshit", growled Inuyasha behind her, dropping his head to rest on top of hers and wrapping an arm around her waist. "That's crap Kagome, and you know it. Demons target you because you're the one carrying the fucking jewel shards, no other reason. And who said you needed to catch up. We've already talked about this. I said that I would always be around to punch the fuckers first, remember?"

"But what if you're not?", whispered Kagome.

"I believe I also said that we could ask Sango for help to give you some pointers on self-defence, if you wanted. That didn't mean work yourself until you were half dead. Kagome, you're doing too much. You're gonna burn out, and then where will we be?"

"Minus a shard detector", sighed Kagome.

A look of exasperation passed across Miroku's usually calm face. "Kagome, I am totally supportive of your will to improve your abilities, but this must stop. You are more than a shard detector to us. You are our comrade, our friend, and it is painful for us to watch you struggling like this." His face softened. "I sense there is more to this than just a need to be able to defend yourself."

Kagome looked from Miroku's calm smile to Sango's kindly encouraging expression. Inuyasha pulled her against him firmly; she could feel his steady heartbeat pulsing against her back. She knew that they weren't going to leave this alone, that they would keep pushing gently until they got an answer. She looked down at her hands, still clasped within Sango's.

"I have to improve, to get better, because this whole mess is my fault. I'm the one that shattered the jewel. I'm the one who spilled that evil far and wide. Every time a village gets taken down by a demon with a jewel shard, that's my fault. Every innocent child that gets killed is my fault. I have to be faster, contain the bloodshed, stop this before more families are broken apart."

Sango stared at Kagome in dismay, letting go of her hands. "But Kagome, how can you think that? It's Naraku's fault!"

Kagome kept her gaze lowered, her brown eyes clouded by tears. "Not all these demons are given shards by Naraku. Not all of it is his fault. I'm the one who brought the stone back to this time. I'm the one who shattered it. It's my responsibility." A low growl behind Kagome hardly gave her a warning before she was suddenly spun around by strong hands to look into Inuyasha's scowling face.

"Wench, did you create the jewel? Did you ask to be reborn with it? Did you make yourself come back 500 years to the past?"

"No, but…"

"Then it's not your fault stupid." Inuyasha glared at her in frustration. "Fuck, Kagome, if I'd known that this was the sort of rubbish filling up your head, I would made you talk about this months ago." He grasped her smaller hands in his, shaking her hands gently at every word to emphasise them. "You need to let this go. It's not helpin' you get better, it's eatin' you alive. You wanna turn this into a guilt competition, all of us could probably trump you with stuff we've done in the past."

Sango murmured her agreement. "Kagome, the past doesn't matter now. We need to keep our heads in the present, otherwise we won't work together well as a team."

"But if I hadn't split the jewel…"

Miroku touched her shoulder to get her attention. "Kagome, let me propose an alternative for you to consider. Imagine if Naraku had retrieved the whole jewel at the beginning, before you met the rest of us, before you had got to know Inuyasha better and began training with Kaede. Naraku would have been unstoppable. The world as we know it would have been covered in darkness already, with countless lives lost. You shattering the jewel, mistake though it was, has given us a real chance of defeating him."

Sango embraced her shoulders gently. "I could never regret meeting you Kagome. In my heart you are like a younger sister to me. We have been through so much together and are likely to go through much more."

Kagome burst into tears. Today had just been too much. Sango continued to hug her shoulders, Miroku patted her back gently, and Inuyasha rubbed his thumbs comfortingly against her hands.

"You are my family", sobbed Kagome. "Sango, you are like a sister to me too." She breathed in shakily. "Miroku, you're like an older brother, one I need to warn my girl friends about". She giggled shakily at Sango's snort of laughter and Miroku's mock aggrieved expression at her comment. She smiled tearily at the small pair snoring by the fire. "Shippou is like a baby brother and son combined, Kirara is a friend I can always count on, and Inuyasha, you…" She looked up at the amber eyes, still focused on her with concern. "You… are…" She couldn't stop the blush that rose in her cheeks, and could only gaze into his eyes, hoping he could guess at what she couldn't bring herself to say when they had an audience. She watched the colour rise in his own cheeks as he continued to hold her hands and return her meaningful look.

"Yeah, wench. Same", he replied softly.

Miroku coughed behind them, and the spell was broken. Inuyasha dropped her hands, tucking his own back in his sleeves, turning his gaze up to the roof of the hut. Sango gave Kagome's shoulders a conspiratorial squeeze, which Kagome chose to ignore.

After a few moments, Inuyasha looked back at Kagome with a fanged grin, now that she was calmer. "Your mother said as much, ya know. That you were trying so hard because you thought of us as family."

Kagome sighed. "You already have so much pain to bear, between the three of you. That's why I didn't want to add mine to it."

Sango smiled at her. "Well, now I hope you know better. When you've recovered from your injuries, I'm hopeful that you will show me the self defence techniques that you've been learning in the future. I am always interested in adding to my range of attack and defence. Perhaps we could spar together, now and then, when we stop for breaks."

"And if you would permit me, perhaps we could combine our skills to work on building defensive barriers together", added Miroku. "Kaede and I have done so in the past, and it makes sense to add this to our abilities in pursuit of Naraku."

Kagome smiled at both of them, wiping away the tears with her good arm. "You guys are the best", she beamed at them.

"So ya know what that means, wench." Kagome turned her face forward to look at Inuyasha, perplexed. "When you go back to the shrine, just do ya schoolwork. We can work on the other stuff while you're here."

"What about my archery practice?"

"I'll just paint a bullseye on Shippou – I'm sure you'll get faster results practicing on a moving target". Inuyasha gave her a toothy grin as Kagome swatted him hard on the arm. "Okay, okay, you can practice a bit. But ya gotta promise me you'll sleep." His face grew more serious. "I mean it wench; I can get away with it, but humans gotta sleep. You got hurt today, and I don't want that to happen again because you're too tired to pay attention."

"Okay", she smiled. Kagome yawned, taking herself by surprise. "Are we going to discuss Kagura's warning?"

"Tomorrow, after you've had a good night's sleep, and I've checked your wounds again", answered Sango. "And after you've eaten breakfast and drunk some more tea", giggling at Kagome's groan of dismay.

"Don't wanna", she pouted, as everyone made ready to get to sleep.

"What's that thing you say to Souta? Sucks to be you!" chuckled Inuyasha. She glared at him before moving in her sleeping bag, ready to crawl away from him closer to the fire. When his arm pulled gently on her hand, she looked at him in surprise.

"You could stay here, with me." Kagome looked at him, open mouthed. He flushed, suddenly looking past her, to the fire. "Uh, I mean, you shouldn't be moving around on that leg. It took Sango a while to get it to stop bleeding when we finally got here, and I don't want you to feel sick again." They both chose to ignore Miroku and Sango snickering in the background.

"Okay", she agreed with a smile. Inuyasha shifted so that his legs were out straight and helped her snuggle down so her head lay pillowed on his thighs. Her thoughts drifted back to the night she had done the same for him, the first time she had discovered his human night fighting against the spider head demons. The night he had told her that she smelt nice.

"Kagome", Inuyasha began uncertainly, "do you feel… better… about what was worrying you? About the jewel I mean?"

Kagome sighed. "Yes and no", she answered. "I still feel responsible for shattering the jewel", she looked up at Inuyasha's face as he grunted in annoyance, "but, I feel better about having shared it with everyone. I know we all have different reasons for wanting to defeat Naraku and get rid of the Shikon jewel, but if we all work together, I know we can do it."

"Alright, go to sleep wench."

Kagome yawned again and closed her eyes. The storm had died down, and she could hear gentle rain pattering on the thatched roof above. Mirokou poured water on the last embers in the fire pit, and the hut became dark, lit only by faint shafts of moonlight filtering in through the reed mat that covered the doorway.

As she heard Sango and Miroku's breathing become more regular as they slipped into sleep, Kagome felt Inuyasha's clawed fingers carding through her long hair, hesitantly at first, and then as she made no attempt to stop him, more firmly, scratching against her scalp lightly. Kagome smiled blissfully against her hakama covered pillow, rubbing her cheek against the rough fabric. She dared a small kiss to Inuyasha's thigh before she drifted into sleep, not quite sure if she had imagined Inuyasha's whisper, "Sweet dreams, my Kagome."


	6. Run Home

Inuyasha startled awake from a sleep he hadn't planned on taking. It was still dark outside, but he could feel a shift in the temperature, the cooler air drifting under the reed mat in the doorway signalling that dawn was not too far away. Sniffing the air, his pointed ears at full attention, he tried to sense what had woken him, and had his answer when he heard a faint whimper from the girl curled up against him. Sometime during the night he had slipped down the wall a little, and she had nestled her head onto his stomach, legs still in the sleeping bag curled up into her chest, fists tucked up under her chin. Her dark hair was fanned out over his legs, and he couldn't help smiling at the tiny damp curls fixed to her forehead with perspiration.

In the dim light, he studied her face, trying to work out why she had made that noise. Her eyebrows were furrowed, mouth turned down at the corners, and the fists under her chin tightened until her knuckles showed white. If she was dreaming, it wasn't a happy one. Inuyasha reached down his hand, smoothing the damp curls off her sweaty forehead.

"Shh, 'Gome, it's just a bad dream. You're safe", he whispered, not wanting to wake the others. Her eyelids flickered, the lashes dark against her still pale cheeks. He frowned, feeling her forehead again. It was warm, not overly so, but enough to concern him a little. She whimpered again, rubbing the back of her head into his stomach, the sounds of her distress getting louder. Whatever this dream was about, it had gone on long enough. He leaned forward; ran the pads of his fingers over her cheeks to wake her gently. "Kagome, wake up."

Kagome's eyes flicked open suddenly, and she pushed out with her hands, hard against his chest. Blinking rapidly, taking in her surroundings as she became more awake, she relaxed against him as she breathed out a relieved sigh. "Woah. That was scary. I'm glad that wasn't real."

She started to sit up, and Inuyasha helped her lean up against the wall so she was sitting next to him. The early dawn light was beginning to filter into the hut, the soft sunbeams stopping their march towards them just under the doorway.

"Are you feeling okay, Kagome?", asked Inuyasha, taking in her wide-eyed expression.

"Much better, now I'm awake", she sighed, running her fingers through her tousled hair. "That was one freaky dream!"

Inuyasha watched and waited. Knowing Kagome, if she wanted to share, the story would come tripping out of her mouth with no extra prompting from him. All he had to do was provide silence. He smirked toothily as she began describing her dream a few moments later; she was so predictable.

"I was in a hut like this one. At first, I thought I was alone, but then this guy leaned over me." She shuddered. "I was pretty sure he was human, but something wasn't right, it just felt like he was surrounded by this aura of… of… wrongness. I knew what he was going to do, and that I needed to get away, but I couldn't move. It was like I was screaming inside my head for my body to move and it just wasn't listening. He was reaching out to touch me and then… well, you woke me up." Kagome rubbed her arms and shivered involuntarily. "Anyway, it was just a silly dream. Help me up please, Inuyasha?"

"What for?"

"Nature calls", she yawned. "Just help me to stand up and I should be able to do the rest myself." She unzipped the sleeping bag and held her arms out, wriggling her fingers at him. Lifting her to her feet, he watched as she gingerly put weight on her injured leg.

"You okay?"

She breathed out slowly. "I don't think I'll win a race anytime soon, but it's not too bad". Hissing in pain, she slowly limped her way over to the door, Inuyasha hovering behind her in case she fell.

"Where do you think you're going?", she asked, one eyebrow raised, as he pushed the screen out of the way, so she could move out of the doorway ahead of him.

"Just makin' sure your clumsy ass doesn't end up stuck in a bush", he grinned teasingly.

Kagome blushed a little. "I really don't need an audience for this", she pouted. "Go back inside and do something useful, like lighting the fire for breakfast. I'll be fine."

"Keh, don't blame me if you fall on your face!" 

Inuyasha went back inside the hut. The others were still asleep, but he cleaned out the firepit, replacing the slightly damp logs from last night with fresh kindling. He had the fire going and Kagome's kettle filled with water for tea by the time she returned. One look at her face had him realising that something was wrong.

She was leaning against the doorframe, sweat beading on her forehead and upper lip. "Sorry… I'm… okay. I'm okay. Squatting down just hurt my leg a little more than I thought it would." 

Without a word, he walked over to her and picked her up, carrying her back to the small nest made by her empty sleeping bag. After seating her carefully on the softly padded surface, he placed his hand on her forehead again.

Kagome tried to weakly bat his hand away. "Stop fussing Inuyasha. I told you I'm fine. It's the first time I've walked on this leg since yesterday; it was bound to hurt a bit." She plastered a smile on her face. "Look, I'll even drink more of that disgusting tea if it will stop you making a big deal out of nothing."

Inuyasha, ignored her hand, taking in her sweaty face and pale complexion. "You're not fine, wench. You had a slight fever when you woke up this morning, and it's already a little worse. Let me look at those wounds of yours to make sure they're not infected."

The commotion had woken Miroku and Sango. Miroku brought the first aid kit over, while Sango mixed more of the herbal tea that Kagome had drunk last night. Kagome rolled her eyes and sighed but decided it would be less trouble to let everyone fuss.

Inuyasha carefully unwrapped the bandages on Kagome's upper left arm, being cautious of the still healing bruise below her elbow. He gently slid his clawed forefinger underneath the tape and gauze on one side of the wound and then the other, cutting through so he could lift the gauze off her wound. The skin around the deep cut was pink, but he could see that the wound was healing nicely, beginning to knit the muscle back together. He gave it a good sniff, just to make sure. 

"This one's okay", he said. He moved aside so Sango could rub some of the healing cream from Kagome's first aid kit around the wound and redress it.

He moved towards Kagome's thigh on the other side and was surprised when she placed a defensive hand in front of it. "Kagome, I need to check."

"Sorry", she flushed, moving her hand out of the way. "I'm being a big wuss. This one just hurts a little more".

He placed his hand on the bandage and immediately knew the news wasn't good. "Kagome, this one's infected", he sighed. "I can feel the heat coming through the bandage without even looking at it."

"Dammit", muttered Kagome. "I was sure the saline would combat that."

Inuyasha removed the bandage even more gently than he had the previous one. Kagome kept herself as still as possible, making no sound, but her lowered brows and tight expression told the story of how much pain she was actually in. She whimpered a little as Inuyasha lifted the gauze away from the wound and drew in a deep breath.

"Fuck Kagome, no wonder it was hurting". The skin around the deeper puncture wound was bright red and shiny, the swelling spreading outwards around her thigh, pulling against the edges of the weeping gash. Red lines at the edge of the swelling streaked upwards on her leg. Inuyasha barely had to sniff to scent the smell of infection in her leg.

Sango peered over Inuyasha's shoulder at Kagome's thigh, and her face grew grim. "Take her back through the well, Inuyasha. She needs to get to a healer in her time as soon as possible." She gestured towards the red streaks travelling up Kagome's thigh. "These marks are a sign of a deep infection. I've seen them on other Taijiya who have been injured. Some of them recovered, but most …" She took a deep breath. "The infection grew rapidly worse no matter what our healers did. All they could do was ease their pain. Once they became confused and lost consciousness, we knew that they would never recover."

Kagome looked at them both, wide-eyed. "Don't you think you're being a little overly dramatic, Sango?", she chuckled weakly. "I mean, I just got back, and we need to get back on the jewel shard hunt. I'm sure if I just rest for today, then tomorrow, I'll be fine." She took in Inuyasha and Sango's serious expressions and looked towards Miroku. "Miroku, tell them that I just need some rest, and then we can all get going again."

Miroku squatted down next to Kagome, holding the mug of herbal tea that Sango had prepared a few minutes ago. "Now, Kagome", he said, his usual calm smile a contrast to the anxious grimace on Kagome's face, "what sort of elder brother would I be if I counselled against a course of action that would have you healing faster?" 

He pushed the tea into her unwilling hands, smiling encouragingly as she forced herself to sip the bitter liquid. "If it's just simple rest that you need, surely a rest in your own time in a comfortable bed under your mother's loving care will speed your recovery. And, if as Sango suggests, a trip to a healer is required, that should not trouble you if you know it will bring your family here peace of mind. I'm sure if Inuyasha puts his mind to it, he could have you home before dark." 

He looked questioningly at Inuyasha, who nodded brusquely. Miroku leaned closer to Sango, who was still leaning over Inuyasha's shoulder. "Do not trouble yourself about the rest of us while you're gone, we will muddle along together just fine." A sudden resounding slap, as Sango backhanded Miroku across the cheek, startled Kagome then had her giggling. Obviously, his wandering hand had been unable to resist the temptation of Sango's pert derriere as she leant forward.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the pair's familiar antics, but didn't move from his spot beside Kagome, as Sango knelt to begin the process of rewrapping the wound in Kagome's thigh. He removed the tea from Kagome's tense hands and placed the mug on the floor, so it would not be spilt, and held her hands in his own instead. His ears drooped and laid flat on his head at the quiet whimpers escaping through Kagome's clenched teeth as Sango cleaned and packed the wound with fresh gauze.

"Looks like we're goin' on another run, wench", he said quietly. He cleared his throat, trying to force a cheery note into his voice. "Maybe if I get ya home early enough, your mother will have time to make that crunchy chicken stuff. The one Souta likes so much. What's it called again?"

"Karaage" muttered Kagome through compressed lips. She really wanted to smile at Inuyasha's attempts to take her mind off what Sango was doing, but her leg hurt so badly, even worse than when the beetle had first gouged the hole in her leg. She tried her best, gasping a little. "It's a shame she doesn't know we're coming; she might have bought steak for you."

He grinned. "Now that would be worth runnin' back for." He tried not to wince as Kagome dug her blunt fingernails into his palms as Sango tightened the bandage on her thigh.

"All done", said Sango, using some of the special cleaning gel on her hands after she had rinsed them in the water pail as Kagome had taught her. She repacked the medical kit, as Miroku and the now awake Shippou bustled about making breakfast, cooking rice and making tea.

"Drink your tea Kagome", encouraged Inuyasha, letting go of her hands to pick up the mug.

She flapped her hand at him. "Gimme a minute", she panted. "I feel like I'm gonna… gonna…" Her eyes suddenly widened as her palm slapped over her mouth. Inuyasha had the good sense to let go of the mug and grab the almost empty water pail next to Kagome, tipping the water out and thrusting it in front of her face just in time. Sango padded back over to scoop Kagome's long hair out of the way into a tail over her shoulder, rubbing her back comfortingly as Kagome hurled what was left of last night's dinner into the pail in front of her.

"Hnn, that was so gross", moaned Kagome. "I'm so sorry." She spat one last time into the bucket, then wiped her mouth with a damp cloth offered by Sango. Embarrassment flooded her face, and she hung her head. Inuyasha dipped his head down sideways until it was almost perpendicular with the floor, so he could look see her expression.

"What's with that face, wench?" he questioned, looking at her narrowed eyes and downturned mouth.

Kagome looked up, her eyes blazing in her sweaty pale face. "Do you really have to ask?", she fired back. "I got targeted by a demon again, got myself injured, and now you're gonna have to babysit me and take me home. And to top it all off, I just ruined everyone's breakfast by chucking up in front of them while they were eating."

Inuyasha grunted. "First of all, the beetle was after the shard, not you, and the way it grabbed you took everyone by surprise, me included. Second, yes, I am takin' you home, but you ain't no baby and if you sit me on the way there, I will not be happy. And" he said, glancing over his shoulder and taking in Miroku calmly sipping tea while Sango served herself rice and Shippou and Kirara continued chewing, "breakfast don't look ruined to me."

Shippou's wide eyes took everything in as he continued munching on his rice ball. "Ish Kagmee gna ee mmk?", he asked Miroku, barely coherent behind the large mouthful of rice he was still chewing.

"She will be fine. Inuyasha will make sure of it by taking her back through the well and letting healers in her time assess her injury", replied Miroku comfortingly, patting the kit on the head as he continued to drink his tea.

Inuyasha sat down with them and began shovelling rice into his mouth, sculling hot tea as quickly as he could. Sango's assessment of Kagome's wound had him worried. Put an enemy in front of him that was threatening Kagome, and he would give his all to take it down, no sweat, but infection was a battle he couldn't fight for her. His mind went back to an image of long ago, his own hand tiny in the sweaty clasp of his mother's, her eyes closed as she struggled for every breath while the infection in her lungs fought to defeat her. Darkness and cold. She was so cold. He pushed the thought away.

"Miroku, Sango, you may as well go back to Kaede's while we're gone. That way I can come back through the well and let you know she's okay." Miroku and Sango nodded. "I'm gonna go over the mountain instead of around, that should take about two hours off my time."

"Over Mount Mitsumine?", asked Miroku. Inuyasha nodded, tapping his foot impatiently as Sango tied some extra rice balls and a flask of water into a cloth for him to carry in case Kagome grew hungry or thirsty later. 

Miroku was puzzled – his mind was tickling him, trying to feed him information pertinent to the shrine on Mount Mitsumine, but he couldn't quite remember. He made an angry tsking noise; it was just out of reach, and he was sure it was something of importance.

Inuyasha squatted down in front of Kagome with his back facing her. She had done her best with the tea, taking a few more sips, but looked sweaty and tired, and Inuyasha felt his concern for her rising. He pushed it down again. 

"Okay Kagome, the faster we leave, the faster you can be home sleepin' in that girly pink bed a yours" he teased, as she slowly eased herself forward, draping her arms over his shoulders. Instead of holding onto her thighs as he usually did, he created a seat under her bottom for her by interlocking his fingers behind his back. He straightened himself up slowly, bouncing her slightly, getting her into position. Kagome buried her face in his hair, whimpering in pain at the pressure his forearm put on her swollen thigh. "Shit, this ain't gonna work". He was going to have to carry her in front of him again, but it was hard on his arms, and would slow them down as they went over the mountain.

Shippou's worried face brightened, and he whispered in Sango's ear. "Wait, Inuyasha, Shippou's had a really good idea!" Sango spoke to Miroku and he dropped a few coins into her hand. She bolted out the door and came back a short time later with a long piece of thickly woven indigo fabric.

"What the fuck's that for?" Inuyasha grunted. Sango motioned for Inuyasha to bend down again, then motioned for Kagome to climb onto Inuyasha's back. She put the top centre of the piece of long cloth over Kagome, up near her neck, and tucked the rest of the width underneath Kagome's bottom, creating a pocket for her to sit in. She drew the long tails of fabric up over Inuyasha's shoulders, wrapping them under his arms, and then under and over Kagome's legs on each side, pulling the tails firmly back around to the front. She held onto the fabric and motioned for Inuyasha to stand. He did so cautiously, worried that Kagome would fall, but to his surprise, she was held in tightly to his back by the fabric and felt lighter than she usually did. 

"You 'kay Kagome?", he asked, trying to look over his shoulder at her.

Kagome rested her head on his shoulder. The fabric had her snuggled in tight against his back and was supporting her leg without pushing on the wound too much. 

"Yeah, I'm good", she murmured. Sango tied the long tails of fabric around Inuyasha's waist, being careful to make the knot above the Tessaiga so he would still be able to draw it if required.

"Now you have your arms free if you need them", she grinned. "It was Shippou's idea – he reminded me how busy mamas carry their children when they need to get stuff done. I used to… to carry Kohaku like this when he was little, when my mother and father were away on a raid and I needed to practice my drills". She smiled a little tearfully at the picture Inuyasha and Kagome made. "He always seemed very comfortable that way – he usually went to sleep when I wore him like this." Sango tucked the small tied cloth of food into the top of the wrap near Kagome's shoulder. "Now you're all set to go".

"Thanks Sango. Thanks runt – you did good." Inuyasha paused to ruffle the fox kit's fluffy red fringe and Shippou beamed under the rare praise. After a final nod to Miroku, Inuyasha ran out the door, slowly at first, until he grew to trust that Kagome wouldn't fall. He sped up and was soon out of sight.

Sango and Shippou finished up their breakfast and began tidying everything into Kagome's gigantic backpack. Sango looked sideways at Miroku, who was still muttering to himself. "What's up?", she asked.

"There was something about the shrine at Mount Mitsumine", muttered Miroku, "but I can't quite…" Suddenly he stopped, looking apprehensively at Sango. "Oh no. Hidarugami! I remember hearing from a traveller that they haunt the trail near the shrine!" Sango stared at him, open mouthed.

Overhearing the conversation, Shippou nodded, familiar with this particular entity. "Ah. Good thing they took some rice balls with them."

Inuyasha ran like the wind, his feet pounding the ground as regular as a heartbeat. He could feel that Kagome had dozed off, the gentle sway of the fabric hammock she was supported in easing her pain a little. Inuyasha smiled. The runt did have some good ideas occasionally. He would just keep going until she woke, get as much ground covered as he could. They were already nearly up the mountain, the zig zagging trail no match for the sure footed hanyou.

The dappled light under the trees kept away the summer heat, and the splashing water from the little waterfall they were currently passing was refreshing. Brightly coloured finches flew overhead, flying through the spray in an effort to keep cool. He could keep going for a few more hours yet without needing to take a break. He could see the brightly coloured gate of Mitsumine Shrine up ahead. They just needed to get through this narrow-wooded part first and then the path down the other side of the mountain would open out, as more travellers from Edo used that road to make a pilgrimage to the mountain shrine.

Suddenly he felt like he'd hit a wall. Weakness caused his limbs to tremble and he dropped to one knee, staggering, trying to keep his balance with Kagome on his back. What the fuck was going on! His throat felt dry and cracked, his stomach clenched in on itself like hadn't eaten in weeks. He lurched to his feet and forced himself to keep moving, but each step dragged like something was siphoning off every ounce of energy he'd ever possessed. 

Inuyasha growled in outrage. He would not let whatever this barrier was beat him. He would keep going. Kagome needed him to keep going. He heard her moan softly behind him, and it gave him the will to take a few more steps before his legs faltered and he slammed into the ground face first.

"Gome", he whispered, turning his face away from the sandy dirt of the mountain pass, his sandpaper dry throat cracking what was left of his voice, "you 'kay?" She moaned softly again, and against his will, Inuyasha's eyes rolled back in his head. The cheerful birds continued their twittering, splashing in the puddles left by the side of the waterfall, paying no heed to the pair collapsed on the path beside them.


	7. Always better to be safe than sorry

Kagome was jolted out of her doze as Inuyasha staggered beneath her, dropping to one knee. A sudden wash of fear prickled the back of her neck as the dappled sunlight around them was swallowed up; she could no longer see the path ahead, and the air was suffocatingly silent. 

Turning towards the waterfall her panic grew as she realised that the previously tumbling water was still. The little finches hung motionless in mid-air, the droplets of mist they had been flying through only moments before hovering as if gravity had ceased to exist. They were caught in a bubble outside time, and she had no clue what had caused it. Kagome shivered, about to question Inuyasha about what had caused his stumble, when a slight movement in the trees caught her eye; she saw them.

She felt almost paralysed by bone deep terror as the shadowy forms approached from the darkened edges of her vision. There was movement on both sides of the path, they were surrounded, but it was difficult to see any details of what they were or to count how many as they shifted in and out of the darkness. Ten, twelve maybe? Whatever they were, they gave off an undeniably menacing aura. 

This wasn't good. Her bow had been left with Miroku and Sango, not that she would be able to shoot with her injured arm, and she didn't have much experience channelling her miko abilities without the focus of an arrow. Her hands and arms were tucked in tightly to her chest; she could try to wriggle them free with an effort but was worried that would throw off Inuyasha's tottering balance. 

Then Kagome realised that she wouldn't be able to bring her reiki to her hands anyway, not without injuring Inuyasha. She clenched her shaking fingers into fists tight against Inuyasha's back, unable to do anything but watch and wait as the pack of unknown foes came forward into the dim light and circled around them. Kagome felt bile burn its way into the back of her throat. She had already felt ill, but to see these things up close…

Empty sockets where eyes once where, skin stretched taut over bone they advanced, lipless mouths leering in delight at the fear of their prey. Ragged kimonos and wisps of hair fluttering in a ghostly breeze of their own making, they floated around Kagome and Inuyasha, no feet to tie them to the earth. Some appeared to have lost their kimonos entirely, clothed only in tattered fundoshi, bone white skin as tight as a drum over ribs, stomachs distended with malnutrition and split with decay.

As they approached in an ever-tightening circle, the ominous silence was replaced by sibilant whispers of hunger and death. Inuyasha staggered to his feet, moving forward on the path, but how could he, when the path was no longer there? She heard him growl in rage as he struggled forwards, and she couldn't help but let out a small moan of horror as she felt the slight brush of ragged cloth against her cheek as one of them glided towards her.

The spectre reached out a bony hand and caressed Kagome's dark hair, running her locks through its skeletal fingers almost as a lover would. The head sagged on an inhumanely long neck, and the eyeless creature licked where its lips once were, tongue blackened and swollen. "You will join usss", it whispered, bending its head close to her ear and she shuddered, recoiling at the unwanted touch. She almost screamed as the dry tongue curved along the rim of her ear. "Join usss, in hunger, join usss in death."

The spectre's head lolled forward as it turned its eyeless gaze towards Inuyasha. The realisation suddenly hit her that he couldn't see the spirits; had no idea of the threat they were facing. Before she could free her arm to try and knock the spectre's hand away, it reached out towards Inuyasha's face as he grimly struggled to keep moving forwards, a light touch sweeping across his mouth and nose. Kagome would have shrieked if she was not already breathless with horror as Inuyasha pitched forward suddenly, slamming them both into the damp sandy earth of the mountain path.

She watched as Inuyasha dragged his face sideways in the dirt, his beautiful amber eyes clouded in pain. "Gome, you 'kay?" he asked, his voice raspy. She wanted to answer, to give him some reassurance, but could only produce a small sound of fear. 

What should she do? How could she fight back? She didn't want to accidentally purify Inuyasha with her reiki; she didn't even know what these things were, just that they spoke of hunger and death and that she was terrified of them. Inuyasha's eyes suddenly rolled back in his head, and with horror she felt his breathing become shallow, his heartbeat slowing with every beat. She was frantic. He was going to die, here on this path, and she was powerless.

A small thought swelled in her mind, bright as a bead. 'You are not powerless. You are a shrine maiden, a miko.' Pulling together her last vestiges of courage, Kagome closed her eyes, and imagined a thin beam of reiki that rose up into the air then spread outwards like an umbrella, forming a bubble of protection around herself and Inuyasha. She had no idea if her effort was affecting these things, and her mind churned, searching every memory for an inkling of what these creatures might be, trying not to weep at the sound of Inuyasha's rattling breath. She didn't think they were demons. Not demons, but dead things. Dead things on a deserted path, that wanted them to join them in death. Hungry dead things. Hungry ghosts. A long-forgotten memory suddenly unfolded.

Her father was whistling cheerfully, preparing for a weekend hike with his friends. She was sitting on the kitchen counter nearby, swinging her little legs. One by one, she handed him his first aid supplies to be packed into his backpack, and she grinned in excitement at being considered old enough to help Daddy while Mama went outside to hang out the washing. Grandpa had come into the kitchen to make tea. He rifled through the pantry and grabbed a package of mochi, pushing them into her father's hands.

"Don't forget my son, you should take these with you. It's always better to be safe than sorry when walking on a mountain path." Her father had rolled his eyes and then winked at her, but willingly packed the mochi into his backpack.

"Don't worry father, I'll be sure to be on the lookout for hungry ghosts."

Hungry ghosts. She vaguely remembered legends about those that died far from home during famine times. Their lack of proper burial caused them to wander in continued pain and hunger, and they lingered on deserted paths to force others to join them in death. That had to be what these things were! But how did you get rid of them? Was she meant to recite a prayer? 

She gritted her teeth at her lack of knowledge; she was sure that Miroku would know this. Why had her grandfather suggested that her father carry mochi? Maybe it was something to do with food. Did you feed them, or yourself? 

Using her last reserves of energy, Kagome wiggled her arms that were pinned by the tight wrap against Inuyasha's back, panting with the effort of maintaining the barrier. Managing to free them enough to reach the cloth that Sango had tied the rice balls and bottled water in, she frantically scrabbled to untie the knot with numb fingers, her terror rising as Inuyasha's laboured breaths stilled - then began again, now so shallow that they were almost a sigh. 

'Gotta hurry, gotta hurry!' She was gasping in her haste, hoping against hope that the barrier that she'd tried to erect was keeping the ghosts at bay. There were two rice balls. She broke one in half and stuffed a chunk into Inuyasha's lax mouth and the other half in her own, then hurled the remaining rice through the paper-thin barrier at the spectres looming over them. After gulping down her own rice, she stroked Inuyasha's face and neck with shaking fingers. His usually tan skin was paper white, a bluish tinge spreading around his mouth and nose.

"Inuyasha, swallow. You have to swallow the rice." Hysterical tears rolled down Kagome's panic-stricken face, dripping onto his hair and cheeks as her voice grew more shrill. "Inuyasha! Please, please wake up. Stay here with me, don't go with them!" She tried tilting his head back by pushing on his chin, hoping it would cause a swallowing reflex, but terrified that in his unresponsive state she would force him to choke. Her panicked voice and stroking must have reached him on some level; his throat moved slightly as he swallowed a small morsel of rice without opening his eyes.

As if a switch had been flicked, the horror was gone.

It was a beautiful summer's day. Birds chirped cheerfully, flying through the rainbow hued spray thrown up by the gurgling waterfall, splashing noisily in the puddles, twittering their enjoyment. Noticing the cooked rice now scattered on the path, they swooped, squabbling and pecking, eager to take advantage of an easy meal. The dappled sunlight patterned the ground around them, leaves swaying in the breeze, and the delicate green of the forest framed the colourful gate of the shrine clearly visible up ahead.

Kagome dropped her head to Inuyasha's shoulder and sobbed quietly, releasing the barrier as the intense fear gradually ebbed away. She felt utterly drained. She took comfort in Inuyasha's heart beating steady and true beneath her, his back muscles moving rhythmically with each firm inhale and exhale of air. Her sobs suddenly turned to giggles when Inuyasha popped open an eye and spat the remaining rice out of his mouth, coughing and spluttering a little, wiping at his face. Rising on his elbow, he turned to look over his shoulder at her, growling his annoyance. "Kagome, why is there fucking rice up my nose?!"

The trip down the other side of the mountain was much less adventurous, Kagome relating everything that had happened with the hungry ghosts before dozing off to sleep again. After their run in with the spectres, Inuyasha decided he didn't want to stop for anything else before he got Kagome back through the well to her mother. 

He was worried. The scent of infection in her leg was perceptible to him now even with the bandage on, and her sleepiness made him anxious. She had explained how she had tried to erect a barrier around them using her reiki, which would have tired her as she had never tried it before, but she could barely keep her eyes open. Kagome might whinge and whine about stopping for breaks on a regular basis while they were on the jewel hunt, but she didn't sleep like this. A silent Kagome seemed absurd, and he didn't like it, not one bit. He felt like he had let her down again by not sensing the spirits on the path; why that was he didn't know. He would talk to Miroku about it later. He was just incredibly grateful she had known what to do.

When they finally reached the well by late afternoon, he was exhausted and scared, although he didn't want to admit it to himself. It was a few hours since she had spoken to him, and it was only her steady heartbeat and regular breathing that stopped him from tearing the cloth holding her from his back and attempting to shake her awake. He was worried that Mama Higurashi would think that he had failed her and Kagome by not keeping her safe; but he was ready to face anything she might say to him if it meant that Kagome would be well again.

He leapt down the well, falling through the centuries until he landed on the other side, and immediately jumped up through the well house and sprinted towards the back door and into the kitchen. Mama Higurashi turned, looking up from chopping vegetables, ready to greet her visitor with a smile. When she took in the sight of a dirty exhausted looking Inuyasha, with her still and silent daughter tied to his back, the smile dropped as the knife clattered from her nerveless fingers onto the chopping board. For one small moment she looked terrified and Inuyasha thought she might cry. Then she took a deep breath and a grim smile appeared on her face. Inuyasha immediately recognised it as the smile Kagome employed when they were facing unfavourable odds; it was battle armour.

"Inuyasha, bring her into the lounge room." Wiping her hands on a towel, she led Inuyasha to the sofa, indicating he should sit on the edge of the cushions as she helped him to ease Kagome off his back, untangling the long length of fabric and gently laying her down.

As soon as Kagome was safely off his back, Inuyasha slumped to the floor, his legs crossed, head bowed. Mama Higurashi knelt down next to him, one hand smoothing through Kagome's hair, noting her feverish forehead and the bandaged arm and leg, the other placed gently on Inuyasha's shoulder. He raised his tired eyes to hers.

"I'm sorry", he whispered. "I failed to protect her."

Mama Higurashi patted his shoulder gently. "I don't think that's true Inuyasha." She smiled, although Inuyasha could smell the anxiety and fear she was hiding beneath her calm facade. "You brought her back to me, and I'm pretty sure you did everything you could to help keep her safe. Explain to me what happened, so I can work out what we need to do."

Inuyasha rubbed his tired eyes and explained about their run in with the beetle and the infected wound on her leg. When he described the red streaks, Mama Higurashi was suddenly all business. "Right. That sounds like cellulitis. She will definitely need antibiotics, they might even keep her overnight on a drip if the infection is spreading quickly. Inuyasha, I'll need your help to get her to the hospital."

Inuyasha dragged himself to his feet. "What do you need me to do?"

"Can you pick her up and carry her out to the car? We'll drive straight to the emergency room. And we'll need to think of a plausible story to explain her injuries – I believe you, but I think being stabbed by a giant beetle will raise a few eyebrows in a modern hospital." She looked at his fire rat and hakama appraisingly. "We don't have time to get your clothes changed. What you're wearing will have to do. But I'm afraid the sword will have to stay behind, people in this time don't carry them, and it will draw attention to you and make the hospital staff anxious."

She ran to the phone on the wall, and Inuyasha heard a rushed conversation to someone about Souta and picking him up from soccer practice. A hurried note was scribbled and left on the kitchen table for Grandpa as Inuyasha gently picked up Kagome off the sofa, his arms under her knees and around her shoulders. Kagome's eyes drifted open and she blinked blearily.

"Hi", she said, a baby smile on her face at the sight of Inuyasha.

"Hi yourself wench." Inuyasha was so delighted that she was finally awake he wanted to squeeze her to him as tightly as he could, but given the circumstances, that probably wasn't a good idea. He settled for a toothy grin. "I don't think I'm gonna take you out on runs anymore – you slept the whole afternoon away. So boring."

Hearing the voices, Mama Higurashi ran from the kitchen to the lounge room, her eyes filling with tears at the sight of her daughter in Inuyasha's arms. Her fingers twitched, as if she wanted to grab Kagome into a hug herself; after biting her lip she settled for stroking her daughter's hair gently. "I'm glad to see you're awake sweetheart. We're just going for a short trip to the hospital."

"Mama, I really don't think…"

A steely look came over Mama's face. "Kagome, I insist. Inuyasha has described your injuries to me, and I am positive that a visit to the hospital is necessary." Seeing Kagome's trembling bottom lip, she kissed her forehead. "Darling girl, do you not think I know how dangerous it is for all of you in that time? Even if I didn't have a good knowledge of history, the rate that you and your friends go through medical supplies gives me a pretty big hint." 

She stroked her cheek gently. "You're not the only one studying first aid books Kagome." She sighed. "I have been preparing myself for the day that either you or Inuyasha come through that well gravely injured. I was sure it would happen at some point, I'm just grateful that it's not more life threatening than this. Now, off to hospital we go."

Grabbing her car keys from a hook in the kitchen and plopping a cap over Inuyasha's wiggling ears, she slipped on her shoes and helped guide Inuyasha to the car at the back of the house. After a quick demonstration regarding the necessity of seatbelts, she helped him settle Kagome into the back seat beside him, and they set off for the short drive to the hospital. A mutual agreement was made that Kagome was injured in a hiking accident, falling down onto tree branches, and after receiving first aid had come home, only to feel ill the following day.

Car parked safely in the hospital parking lot, Inuyasha carried Kagome into the ER waiting room, closely followed by Mama Higurashi. The combined smells of illness, medicine and blood hit him like a slap in the face.

"I don't like it here", he rumbled, tightening his hold on Kagome. Mama Higurashi patted his arm comfortingly.

"No-one likes hospital waiting rooms Inuyasha. I'll just speak to the triage nurse and find out how long we have to wait." Mama Higurashi walked over to the counter, answering questions and filling out the necessary forms, while Inuyasha sat himself down on a hard waiting room chair, a sleepy Kagome still in his lap.


	8. Mother and Son

Mama had hardly sat down on her own chair in the waiting room when Kagome's name was called by an orderly approaching them with a wheelchair.

"Your chariot awaits, Miss", he smiled at Kagome. Inuyasha held her to him a bit tighter, his chin jutting out defiantly. He felt unsure of himself without the Tessaiga, and the smell of this place, illness and blood laced with pain and fear, made him want to run out the door and take Kagome with him. He took a deep breath, trying to keep a tight rein on his emotions. He figured they might not like swords in hospitals, but they'd like a rampaging red eyed demon even less.

"Kagome don't need a chariot", he said gruffly. "I can carry her wherever she needs to go."

"I'm afraid it's hospital policy sir."

"Inuyasha dear, I know you're worried, I am too, but everyone here just wants to help Kagome. It's just the way things are done. I'm sure we can come with her, isn't that right?"

The orderly nodded cheerfully. Rumbling his annoyance under his breath, Inuyasha carefully placed Kagome into the seat with wheels, thinking how ridiculous it was when she would probably be much more comfortable in his arms. He bit back an impulse to growl and pick her up again when she winced as her swollen thigh touched the cold hard metal of the arm rest.

"Let's get this show on the road, shall we?" asked the cheerful orderly, and they were buzzed through a glass sliding door to the examination cubicles on the other side. The orderly led them to a curtained cubicle with an empty bed, and when he moved to assist Kagome out of the wheelchair, Inuyasha swooped forwards and picked her up himself with a defiant glint in his eye. An embarrassed Kagome swatted him on the shoulder with her good arm, and the smiling orderly disappeared with the wheel chair. 

An overly cheerful nurse appeared, asking Kagome questions and taking her temperature and measuring her heart rate. Then they were told to wait for the doctor.

Inuyasha snorted, pacing around the bed in an irritated fashion. "This place is weird. Why do they have all these different people when one person would be enough? If I'd taken you straight to Kaede's there wouldn't have been half this fuss."

Mama turned a serious face towards Inuyasha. "I am very glad that you brought her back here. If left untreated, an infection like this can spread across the body and into the bloodstream; it is possible to die from something like this."

Inuyasha stopped his pacing, his ears drooping under the cap. "Yeah, that's what Sango said", he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "She said she'd seen people die from it and wanted me to bring her straight back. Miroku insisted too."

"Then they have my thanks. Should you go back through the well once we get home and let them know that you and Kagome arrived safely?"

"Nah, they probably won't be there yet. Kirara needs to take breaks when she's carrying more than one person, and I'm not sure if they'd go over Mount Mitsumine like I did."

Inuyasha had rarely ever seen Mama surprised. Even the first time he had met her, when he'd burst into Kagome's home, demanding she come straight back through the well, she hadn't screamed about a demon in her house, but had immediately rubbed his fuzzy ears instead. He had to admit, that had thrown him a bit. But now, after he mentioned Mount Mitsumine, her jaw had dropped open, eyes wide in a silent expression of surprise.

"But… that's over one hundred kilometres away! You were carrying her on your back! Didn't you say you left this morning?"

Misunderstanding the reason for her surprise, Inuyasha apologised. "I'm sorry I didn't get Kagome here faster. I just didn't want to jostle her by going at my top speed. I didn't want her leg hurt any worse than it already was."

He was totally unprepared for the hug that Mama suddenly launched at him, her arms clasped tight across his back. "Thank you", she whispered.

Even though Kagome still felt woozy and ill, she couldn't help but giggle a little at the blush that escalated in Inuyasha's cheeks.

"It's no big deal", Inuyasha blustered. Both of them were smiling at him, and he felt an unaccountable desire to run away. Fighting the impulse, he plonked himself down on one of the hard plastic seats near Kagome's bed, jamming his hands into his sleeves and tapping his foot impatiently on the cold linoleum floor. "How long have we gotta wait for this healer anyway?"

Mama sighed, sadly well acquainted with how modern hospitals worked after her husband's accident. "As long as it takes Inuyasha, as long as it takes."

Inuyasha growled. The doctor had finally come, and he had been asked to wait outside the curtained cubicle. He could hear Kagome's swallowed whimpers and smell the scent of infection as the doctor removed the bandage on her leg. 

He hated this place. He hated the way it smelt. He hated that everything was shiny. He hated that Kagome looked so small in the bed on wheels, face so pale her features almost disappeared into the starched white pillowcase, apart from the contrast of her dark eyes and blue-black curls. He hated that he felt so powerless. And he hated that Mama seemed to be wilting; her usual cheerful demeanour had been replaced with sadness, covered badly by a pasted-on smile.

He heard a high-pitched yelp come from behind the curtain. The vibrating rumble in his chest increased. That was it, he didn't care that Kagome and Mama had asked him to behave; Kagome needed him and there was no way he was staying out here any longer. He thrust his way belligerently through the curtain, just in time to see the doctor patting Kagome on the shoulder reassuringly.

"I'm sorry if that hurt Miss Higurashi, but I needed to examine your injury carefully to decide if we needed to debride the infected tissue in the wound." She removed her stained latex gloves, tossing them into a nearby bin. "You're lucky. I think an intensive course of intravenous antibiotics should do the trick; you'll probably be on your way home in three days."

"Three days! I can't stay here for three days!" Kagome bit her lip, her eyes welling up.

The doctor smiled at her. "Just think of it as a holiday from school. I'm sure your teachers won't hold it against you when they're informed of the seriousness of your injury. I'm happy to write a medical certificate excusing you from school for the next week."

"At least you'll be home in time for Obon Kagome", said Mama softly.

Kagome turned her tear-filled eyes towards Inuyasha. What would he think? Here she was, slowing them down again. She hoped he wouldn't be too angry. The gentle look in his amber eyes surprised her.

"Hey, Kagome, don't worry. Three days is nothin' right? I'll let our friends know you're okay, and we'll all be there to help you when we leave to… um, study. Yeah."

Kagome pouted, bottom lip trembling slightly. "I suppose I've got no choice, huh. Guess I'd better make the best of it." She managed a small smile. "At least I'll get breakfast in bed, right?"

"That's my girl", smiled Inuyasha toothily, then felt the heat rising in his cheeks as soon as the words left his mouth, watching a matching blush struggling to rise in Kagome's pale cheeks. He failed to see the small smile on Mama's face, or the wink sent his way by the Doctor.

"Well, I'll go organise your admittance Miss Higurashi; someone will be along to take you to your room shortly; the pain medication I injected should be taking effect by now." The doctor left them behind in the small curtained cubicle, bustling over to the patient admin desk in an efficient manner.

"Maybe you should go back to Kaede's Inuyasha", said Kagome despondently. "It's going to be very boring for you here.

"Nuh uh", grinned Inuyasha. "I'm stayin' around to make sure you do what you're told. You might be good at dishin' medicine out, but don't seem to be too good at takin' it." He looked towards Mama as an afterthought. "That's okay ain't it?"

Mama smiled at him. "Souta will be delighted. And I'm sure I can find jobs for you to help with when you're not visiting Kagome. Grandpa was talking about dusting in the storage shed again."

Inuyasha whined a little, then sighed. "Alright. But tell 'im that he's not allowed to try an' purify me with those weak ass ofudas of his. It's annoying."

Mama grinned. "I promise that he'll behave. He does actually like you, you know."

Inuyasha snorted derisively. "Could a fooled me." He glanced at Kagome, who was laying back against the pillow, her head drooping. "You 'kay 'Gome?"

Kagome yawned. "Sleepy", she muttered blearily. "Prob'ly the medicine…" Her eyes fluttered closed.

The orderly arrived, ready to transfer Kagome to the ward. Mama and Inuyasha followed behind as the bed was wheeled down the maze of corridors to the room where Kagome would spend the next three days.

Inuyasha sneezed. The dust in the storage room was getting up his nose and into his eyes, but he only had two more boxes to carry back before he was released from duty. It was nearly visiting hours at the hospital, and he hoped that Kagome would be feeling better today. 

He grimaced. Yesterday had not been a fun visit. The doctor had warned them that Kagome would probably seem worse for a day while her body continued to fight the infection until the antibiotics gradually took effect, and he and Mama had sat silently next to her bed after Grandpa and Souta left, while she slipped in and out of a doze.

After they'd left the hospital and gone back to the shrine, he'd slipped down the well and gone to Kaede's to leave a message for the others. Kaede was most interested to hear how they were treating Kagome, but Inuyasha struggled to describe it, finally concluding exasperatedly that Kaede would just have to get Kagome to explain when she returned.

He'd spent a grumpy evening back at the shrine, teasing Buyo the cat, and sitting morosely in the Goshinbuko after dinner. When everyone was asleep, he'd let himself into Kagome's bedroom window, but her usually comforting scent didn't make him feel any better, and he dozed fitfully, sitting up against her bedroom wall with the Tessaiga balanced on his shoulder.

Breakfast this morning had cheered him up a little. Bacon always made him feel cheerful. He'd wondered aloud if bacon flavoured ramen was a possibility and was cheered even more when Mama said that she could make that happen for him, if he wanted.

Souta had run off to school, and Inuyasha was stuck with Grandpa Higurashi while Mama tidied up indoors. Helping the old man with his 'treasures' was annoying, but at least he didn't try to throw any ofudas at him this time. Irritating old bastard. 

He straightened up after carrying the last box into the storeroom, while Kagome's grandfather fluttered around in the background, prattling on about how valuable his crap was, and how he was going to meet up with possible collectors at Obon in a few days. Keh! At least he was done now. He stomped back over to the house, to see when they could leave to go see Kagome.

After Inuyasha washed most of the dust off, they drove the short way to the hospital. Souta had decided that the novelty of visiting his sister in hospital had worn off, especially when she wasn't doing anything exciting, so had opted to go straight to a friend's house after school. Grandpa was hosting visitors to the shrine that afternoon and said he might visit Kagome tomorrow. So it was just the two of them making their way through the maze of corridors, a baseball cap perched on top of Inuyasha's fuzzy ears.

When they first arrived, Kagome didn't seem to have changed much. She was still asleep, although Inuyasha was happy that the smell of infection coming from the bandaged leg hidden under the white sheets was much harder to detect. 

She had been changed into a pale blue hospital gown and smelt like soap, so she must have washed. Her arm was still attached to the beepy machine that Kagome's mother had called a 'drip'; she had explained yesterday that this type of medicine worked better if it went straight into Kagome's blood, rather than her stomach. Whatever. As long as it made Kagome better, he didn't care how they did it. Ignoring Mama's pointed look, he took off the annoying baseball cap and scratched. Stupid thing always made his ears feel sweaty.

When Mama had left to go to the bathroom, he took a chance to hold Kagome's hand for a moment. Trying to sleep last night in Kagome's bedroom, being constantly exposed to her lingering fragrance but not being able to touch her or see her had made him feel lonely, even more lonely than when he was five hundred years away.

He gently ran the pads of his fingers over the roughened callouses on the inside of her hand, built up over time from using her bow. Her hands were so much paler than his, her tapered fingers more delicate. His fingers traced the lines on her palm, softly pressing against the tender flesh on the heel of her hand; he drew circles on the blue lines patterning her wrist, feeling the pulse of her heart against his fingertips. He wove their fingers together, smiling a little at how their hands fit, at how comfortable and right it felt.

"So, Inuyasha, how long have you been in love with my daughter?"

Inuyasha froze, his eyes still directed to his and Kagome's clasped hands. He had been so engrossed that he did not hear or see Mama return to her seat on the other side of Kagome. Fuck! He didn't know what to do. What was he meant to say? 'Maybe, probably, yes, I think so, please don't hate me' didn't seem right, and probably wouldn't be taken very well. What if he was forbidden to see Kagome again? He knew he could easily overpower anyone and take her back to his time, but would Kagome choose him over her family? He didn't want to make her choose.

"Inuyasha?"

Taking a deep breath, still holding Kagome's hand to boost his courage, he looked up. Mama was smiling at him, her eyes warm. A small whine of relief escaped him before he could hold it back.

"It's very plain to me how much you care for my daughter, and that she cares very much for you in return", said Mama gently. "I truly believe that my daughter's destiny is intertwined with yours. Do you two have any plans for a future together, after your quest is completed?"

Inuyasha made a small sound, somewhere between a whine and a growl. Dammit, why was he the one getting asked to answer these questions that he'd barely even dared to think about, especially with Kikyo still out there somewhere, while his wench slumbered away oblivious between them.

"We haven't… that is… I want to…", he coughed, and then sighed. "It's… complicated."

"Love is usually a lot less complicated than people think", Mama smiled, a little sadly. "I'm sorry if my question made you feel uncomfortable Inuyasha. I'm not exactly feeling like myself at the moment. I haven't been back to this hospital since my husband died, and being here, and worrying about Kagome has rattled me a little."

She turned her head and looked out the window, directing her gaze towards the heat haze reflecting off the tall buildings in the distance, her hands twisting in her lap. Even though she was older, and her hair was shorter, her distressed expression and clenched hands reminded Inuyasha so much of Kagome when she was sad that he had to say something. Knowing him it would probably be the wrong thing, but he would try.

"I'm not very good at talking about feelings and crap like that", began Inuyasha hesitantly, "but Kagome said once that I was a good listener when I wanted to be. I've got the ears for it, you see." He waggled them a little bit for Mama's benefit, guessing from the way that she'd grabbed them when they first met that she liked them almost as much as Kagome did.

Mama chuckled, wiping away the single tear that had escaped and slid down her cheek. "That you do, Inuyasha. Tell me, has Kagome ever told you much about her father?"

"Not very much. I think she was worried she'd make me feel bad, because I never met my father; he died before I was born."

Mama smiled sadly at him. "I see." She looked down at the golden ring on her left hand. "I first met Kagome's father through some other friends, at Obon. We all danced together; it was so much fun. He bought me shaved ice, and he looked so handsome in his indigo yukata. By the end of the evening, I was a little in love with him already. It was a shame I was already going out with someone else at the time."

"Going out?", questioned Inuyasha.

"Hmm, would the phrase 'courting' make more sense to you?" When Inuyasha nodded, she continued.

"Yes, I was being courted by someone else, a much older man. At first, I thought I was very much in love with him; I was so grateful that he'd noticed me in the first place, that I didn't pay much attention to the way he treated me. He told me I was pretty, but he never wanted to know what I thought, or how I felt; he expected me to change and fit in with what he wanted and needed." She sighed, twisting the ring on her finger.

"Then the older man moved away for work; we were still courting, but I didn't see him as often, and I spent more time with my other friends, including Kagome's father, Toshinori."

She smiled at Inuyasha. "Toshi was studying to be a kannushi, ready to take over the Higurashi Shrine from his father. He embraced life, and always looked for the best in people. He valued my opinions and feelings, did his best to make me laugh, and even though we argued sometimes, usually over very stupid things, when I was with him, I felt more alive and… more myself, than I did with anyone else. It was then that I realised that I could never spend my life with someone who didn't want me as I truly was."

Mama chuckled. "I met with the other man and told him that I had decided I didn't want to see him anymore. My mother was furious; it was a very good match, according to her, he was quite wealthy. But I had made up my mind. Two months later, I was married to Kagome's father."

She grinned at Inuyasha. "It turned out, we'd both been hiding our feelings of love. I hid them because I felt a weird sense of loyalty to the first man who had asked me out – it didn't seem fair to abandon him when he wasn't there to defend himself, even though I knew I loved Kagome's father. Toshinori had kept quiet about his feelings for me because he didn't want to put me in the awkward position of having to choose between us. He respected my feelings and had decided he would never tell me how much he loved me."

Mama looked down at the golden ring again. "I was so angry with him when I found out. We had a huge argument under the Goshinboku, and then he asked me to marry him. Once we both knew how the other felt, there seemed to be very little point in waiting."

She sighed again, twisting the ring on her finger. "We had wonderful years together as husband and wife before he was killed. Kagome was nearly eight years old when he died; I was pregnant with Souta, so like you, he never got to meet his father. I still miss him, every day."

Inuyasha watched the tears gathering on her dark eyelashes, dripping down onto the fingers that twisted the golden ring. "Was… was it worth it?", he asked softly.

Mama looked up into the anxious golden eyes of the half-demon sitting across from her, still holding tightly to her daughter's hand. Her heart clenched at the fear and hope warring in his expression, and she was reminded that even though Kagome had told him he had lived much longer than any human, he was comparatively still a young man around Kagome's age, who had not had the love and support of a family like her daughter had. She smiled gently.

"Was falling in love worth it? Yes, Inuyasha. If I could go back in time, knowing that my time with Kagome's father would be cut short and of the heartbreak there was to come, I would still choose to be with him. I would still love him. I always will." Her eyes shifted from Inuyasha's to the pale face of her daughter, still sleeping. "Love is always worth it, in the end."

Suddenly Kagome snorted loudly in her sleep, causing Mama Higurashi to giggle through her tears, and Inuyasha to let out a bark of laughter. The sudden noise woke Kagome up.

"Huh, what'd I miss?", she asked blinking her eyes.

Still giggling slightly, Mama smiled at her. "Nothing dear. Inuyasha and I were just chatting, getting to know each other better."

"Okay." Kagome went to rub her eyes with both hands, then realised that one was clasped within Inuyasha's. She blushed, and although she looked away from him towards her mother, she squeezed his hand a little and rubbed her thumb lightly across his. "Have you guys been here long?"

"Actually, it's time for me to go", said Mama, kissing her daughter on her cheek. "Your dinner should be here any moment, and I need to go pick up Souta from his friend's house. Inuyasha, you can make your own way back to the shrine, can't you?" She pointed to the baseball cap sitting on the bed in front of him. "Just don't forget to wear that."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Fine", he sighed, "I'll wear it."

Mama tweaked one of his ears playfully as she walked past. "Don't be late for dinner, Inuyasha. I'm cooking steak." She blew a kiss to Kagome as she walked out the door.

"Ugh, I wish she hadn't mentioned dinner", sighed Kagome, rubbing her stomach fretfully. "The food here is nowhere as good as Mama's cooking."

"Do you think they'll let you come home tomorrow?" asked Inuyasha.

"Why, do you miss me that much?", teased Kagome, playfully pulling on one the silver locks of his hair with her other hand. "If you're bored, you can go back and annoy the others, I'm sure they'd be back to Kaede's by now."

"It's not the same without you there", said Inuyasha softly. He coughed, clearing his throat, sitting up straighter in his chair. 

"Kagome, can you explain to me what obon is? Your grandfather mentioned it this morning, and your mother did today too."

Kagome looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Um, sure. It was originally a Buddhist festival that lasts a few days, but everyone celebrates it now. It's all about going back home to your family; you visit and clean your ancestors' graves. For Bon Odori you wear a summer yukata, and there's always dancing at night, and carnival rides and games and lots of food. It's actually lots of fun."

Inuyasha looked down at their clasped hands. "Kagome, if you're feeling better…" He coughed and then started again. "Would you… if you're feeling well enough that is, would you like to go to the festival with me?" Inuyasha said the last part of the sentence so quickly that it took Kagome a few moments to work out what he had said.

"You'd like to take me to Bon Odori?", Kagome asked, wanting to make sure she'd heard correctly.

"Forget it, it was a stupid idea". He went to pull his hand out of Kagome's but was stopped by her firm grip.

"I would very much like to go to Bon Odori with you Inuyasha. I will make sure I'm feeling well enough to go, because I really, really want to."

"You'll go with me?"

"Yes, I'll go with you", she smiled.

Inuyasha smiled back at her. His heart was still beating too fast. He couldn't believe she'd said yes. Crap, she'd said yes! He didn't know the first thing about what people did at this thing. He was gonna embarrass her. What should he do now? He couldn't ask Sango or Miroku, because he was pretty sure they didn't have this festival in the past. And there was dancing. He'd never danced at a festival before. What if he was bad at it? What if he made a fool of himself in front of Kagome? Dammit. Wait, Mama had mentioned the dancing, so she should know how to do it right?

Kagome was still smiling at him, when he leaned forward and placed a lightning fast kiss on her cheek. "Gotta go Kagome, see you tomorrow!" He snatched up the hat from the bed and launched himself out the door before Kagome could say a word.

Mama was wiping her hands on her apron after checking the rice when Inuyasha barrelled into the kitchen, knocking over a chair.

"Wow Inuyasha", Mama chuckled, "I know you liked the steak last time we had it, but this is… what's wrong?" She took in the stricken look on his face, and his slumped posture as he picked up the chair and plonked himself down in it.

"I asked Kagome to the Obon Festival", Inuyasha whispered, staring wide-eyed at her.

"Have you ever asked a girl to a festival before Inuyasha?" 

He shook his head vehemently. 

"Is this something you would like my help with?" 

He nodded frantically.

Mama smiled at him affectionately. "Okay, don't worry, this isn't a problem dear. I'm sure it will all turn out just fine." He nearly bowled her over with a sudden hug, then let her go just as suddenly. She took in his suddenly puzzled expression. "Inuyasha?"

"I don't know what to call you", he said quietly, a blush suddenly rising to his cheeks.

She giggled, then seeing his expression, hid her smile behind her hand. "Well, what do you call me in your head when you think of me?"

Inuyasha looked down at the table. "When I first met you, it was just, Kagome's mother. Then after a while, it was Mama Higurashi. But these last few days, in my head I've been calling you", he looked up into her face anxiously, "just… Mama".

Mama's eyes filled with sudden tears. She reached out for him, and pulled him in for a motherly comforting hug. "Inuyasha, I don't have a problem with you calling me Mama at all."


	9. Graveside confessions

Kagome was bored. Sooo bored. She guessed on the upside, she must be getting better if she felt well enough to be bored, but still… There was nothing to do in this room. 

Sitting up in bed, she reached forwards and pulled up the starched white hospital sheets and folded the top down neatly over the white cotton blanket for perhaps the third time today. Ugh, everything in this room was white. Looking out the window, the view was the same as this morning and yesterday and the day before that; nondescript city buildings, with only the occasional pigeon flying past to break the monotony. 

The beep from the machine that regulated her IV medication was getting on her nerves, especially when the alarm suddenly sounded to alert a nurse to change the almost empty IV fluid bag for a full one. The sound had freaked her out the first time it had happened, but now it was just another thing on her list of annoyances. And visiting hours had already started, and no one had come.

The nurse changed the bag quickly and efficiently, and Kagome thanked her. She would be so glad to get this thing out of her arm, even though she was grateful that the medication had probably saved her life. 

She sighed, watching people walking out in the corridor past her open door to visit other patients. Her family was probably busy getting ready for Obon. Most likely Mama was cleaning the house, like she always did. Souta would have to polish the shrine bells by himself; usually it was a job they did together. Missing out on that tedious task was almost worth being in hospital for. Grandpa would be stringing the chochin lanterns around the shrine; no doubt Inuyasha was getting roped into helping with that. She grinned, imagining him bounding onto the roof, silver hair streaming like a flag in the breeze, dragging on a string of paper lanterns with Grandpa scolding him in the background. The mental image of Inuyasha caused Kagome's heart to twist a little. Dammit. And now her thoughts were back to him again.

Had that tiny kiss meant anything to him yesterday? That feather light peck on her cheek. Was it a friendly kiss? A 'see ya later' kiss? Was it meant to mean more but he was too shy to kiss her on the mouth? And he'd invited her to Obon; was that a date? Was it just as friends? The whole thing had been so fast, she'd barely had time to register what was going on before he'd bolted away, and she'd been left with nothing to keep her occupied but think and over analyse the situation until she finally drifted off to sleep, not unhappy exactly, but definitely confused. She knew her own feelings; she loved Inuyasha, and even though she was only sixteen, she was sure in her heart that this was no crush. It was him that was the problem.

Well, no, he wasn't the problem exactly. Kikyo was the problem, although that wasn't entirely fair either. Kikyo hadn't asked to be brought back from the dead; it probably wasn't much fun traipsing around feudal Japan existing as the equivalent of a soul sucking vampire. And realising that her untimely death was the result of a cruel trick by Naraku must have been a kick in the teeth too.

Kagome sighed. She knew that Inuyasha had loved Kikyo; that they had loved each other. He still cared for her deeply, judging by the way he was ready to drop everything and be her beck and call boy. She got it, she really did; he felt guilty about her death, but the way Kikyo had implied she owned his life now, had kissed him right in front of her and basically let Kagome know she was an obstacle to be removed… she couldn't help but feel betrayed every time he left. She would trust him with her life, but his judgement regarding Kikyo was seriously flawed.

And she could see why Inuyasha would have loved Kikyo while she was still alive. She was beautiful, serene, with a glossy smooth waterfall of hair and a lilting voice, gliding around the wilderness in a freaking white shirt, firing off dozens of arrows without getting a speck of dust on her, or even breaking a sweat. How did she do that?!

In comparison, it must seem to Inuyasha like she'd been dragged through a bush backwards. Sleeping rough for weeks at a time didn't do much for the wild wavy hair that she had trouble taming even when she had access to regular showers and a hairdryer. She was clumsy, always covered in dirt, scrapes and bruises, with grubby knees and torn clothes. And she was usually shrieking at him about something or other, or even worse, sitting him. At least she had got better at that; she felt so guilty about her earlier use of the subjugation beads now that she knew him better. She sighed. She was stupid to think that he cared for her more than as a valued friend.

Except… and her heart kept coming back to this argument no matter how often her common sense beat her back; he had said that he wanted her by his side, and sometimes the way he looked at her, his golden eyes full of such warmth, especially these last few months, just maybe…

"Cup of tea dear?"

Kagome was startled by the voice of the tea lady; she had been thinking so deeply she hadn't even noticed her come into the room. Ugh, now she could add rudeness to her list of non-complimentary personal traits. Well, she often considered Kikyo's actions rude, so at least they were equal on that count. She smiled back at the older woman.

"Yes please, a cup of tea would be lovely, thank you."

"No visitors today?"

"Oh, I'm sure they'll be here later. They've probably just got held up getting ready for Obon."

The older woman smiled as she poured green tea into a styrofoam cup for Kagome. "Yes, I need to finish cleaning my house as soon as I've finished this shift. My children and grandchildren will be over later this afternoon to help set up the altar. Are you going to be able to dance at Bon Odori this year, or will you still be here in the hospital?"

Kagome sipped the hot tea carefully, sidestepping the subject of dancing for the moment. "Hopefully I'm going home tomorrow morning. I have to admit, I'm getting a little bored, now that I'm feeling better."

"Why don't you ask one of the nurses if you could go for a walk in the garden? They let patients take the IV stand with them, as long as they stay on the path and they're steady on their feet. It's a lovely day outside, and there's a nice breeze coming down from the mountains."

"I'd really like to", began Kagome, considering the idea, "but I don't have any clothes to change into, and the back of this hospital gown is a little, well, breezy."

The tea lady chuckled. "I'm sure the nurse can get you another one to wear over the back, so you're nicely covered. Should I send someone in once I've finished doing my rounds?"

"No, that's okay, I'll go for a walk down the corridor and ask at the nurses' station. I need to get used to walking on this leg if I'm going home tomorrow anyway."

After the tea lady had taken her trolley on to the next room, Kagome gathered up the IV line, being careful not to tug the canula out of her arm and unplugged the machine and wound up the cord so she could wheel the stand down the hallway to the nurses' station. She'd only gone as far as the bathroom previously, but her leg felt so much better than it had that first morning, when she'd got up to go to the toilet outside the hut. 

Kagome winced at the memory. She had tried so hard to hide her agony from Inuyasha; every step had felt like she was being stabbed all over again, the skin so tight and hot that if felt like her thigh might burst open like an over ripe fruit. Now it ached, but it was just a dull thump, and even that was reduced by the pain medication she had been given. It was definitely time to get herself moving.

The nurse on duty was happy to grant her request of an extra hospital gown and directions to the garden, as long as she only stayed out until the end of visiting time, and she was to press the assistance buzzer at the entrance to the garden to call someone if she felt dizzy at all.

Kagome wheeled herself off, eager to be doing something other than sitting alone in her room. She let the wheeled stand take some of the weight off her injured leg, and carefully walked down the circular ramp that led outside to a small garden.

There were tables and chairs off to one side in a grassed area, and a few benches under a large maple tree underplanted with pink and white azaleas. No one was out here at the moment, probably all with visitors in their rooms, so she had a choice of where to sit. The sun was a little hot on the back of her neck, so she carefully made her way along the concrete path to the benches bathed in dappled sunlight under the branches of the large tree.

Once she reached the first bench, she was glad to sit down. She wasn't feeling dizzy exactly, but definitely tired, more tired than she would have thought she would be after such a short walk. It was only once she was safely seated, IV stand tucked in next to the bench, that she realised that maybe she should have left a message in her room that she was out here in case anyone turned up. Enjoying the slight freedom of being outside, she smiled to herself. It should be okay. Mama would know to ask. It wasn't like she'd let Inuyasha come visit all by himself.

Kagome tilted her head back, closing her eyes. Her room inside the hospital was quiet, but there was something altogether more peaceful and calming about sitting in the shade of a tree outside. She concentrated on feeling the summer breeze ruffle her hair, the sparrows twittering in the branches of the tree above her, the beams of afternoon sunlight warming the skin on her legs, the pounding of bare feet running on concrete… Kagome cracked open one eye just in time to see a slightly irate hanyou in a baseball cap standing over her; arms tucked into the bell-like sleeves of his suikan, foot tapping on the path impatiently.

"I went to your room and you weren't there", grumped Inuyasha. "What are you doin' out here by yourself anyway?"

Kagome tilted her head back and smiled in greeting. "I'm sorry I wasn't there – the tea lady said it was a nice day outside, and I thought I'd just come out for a little while. I was pretty sure Mama would know to ask anyway. Is she waiting for us inside?"

Inuyasha flopped down onto the bench beside her. "Nah, you've just got me today. Mama's still shopping. Your Grandpa and Souta are polishing the bells at the shrine. I managed to escape before they gave me somethin' else to do." He sighed melodramatically, draping his arms backwards over the back rest of the bench, his long silver hair almost touching the ground. "I didn't realise Obon would be so much work. It's just one long list!"

Kagome giggled at him from behind her hand. Inuyasha sat up again, and after looking around to see if anyone was watching, took off the baseball cap. He tugged on Kagome's arm, pulling her hand away from her mouth.

"Do that again".

Kagome crinkled her eyebrows, puzzled. "Do what?"

Inuyasha's amber eyes suddenly sparked with an idea, and a devilish fanged grin widened slowly on his face. Before Kagome could work out what he was up to, one of his hands shot out towards her ribs and he tickled; she couldn't hold back the surprised yelp of laughter that bubbled out of her. He kept going and her giggles escalated until finally she weakly punched him in the shoulder, physically unable to say any words to make him stop.

Once she had recovered her breath somewhat, she punched him again, a little harder. "What did you do that for, you jerk!"

Inuyasha continued to grin at her as he grabbed her hand to stop any further punches and trapped it within his larger one. "I couldn't hear you laugh properly with that stupid hat on, and I needed to hear it again." His fanged grin softened to a smile. "It seems like ages since I've heard you laugh properly Kagome."

"Oh." Kagome leaned closer to him, touching her shoulder to his, and felt a sudden bubble of happiness as Inuyasha's fingers intertwined with hers, holding her hand like he had yesterday. She smoothed her thumb up and down his, relishing the texture of his skin against her fingers. She decided, then and there, that all the thoughts still tumbling around her head about Kikyo could wait. She would not spoil this moment.

"So, what was on this long list of things my family made you do?" He rolled his eyes and began to list his persecutions, and she smiled, ready to laugh. It hardly mattered what he said, and what she said in return; they were here together, holding hands in a place where no demons or lackeys of Naraku would suddenly pop up and attack them. For the first time in what seemed like forever they could just… be.

It was a very sleepy Kagome that Inuyasha helped back to the hospital room a few hours later, just in time for her dinner to arrive. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay to come to the festival the day after tomorrow?", he asked anxiously.

"Perfectly", yawned Kagome, climbing back into bed a little clumsily, with Inuyasha hovering behind her in case she fell. "I'll be there, even if they chop my leg off." A rumbling growl from Inuyasha made her giggle. "Yash, I'm joking. They're not going to chop off my leg. It's fine. I still want to go." She pulled the cover off her dinner plate and made a face, poking her tongue out at the bland looking meal; lean meat cut in thin strips, steamed carrots, plain rice with a scant sprinkling of furikake and watery miso soup. "The faster I get out of here, the better."

"I guess now's not the best time to mention Mama was makin' yaki soba for dinner", grinned Inuyasha. Kagome made a face at him.

"Go 'way. Don't like you anymore."

"Aww, that's a shame, 'cause I…"

Kagome looked up when Inuyasha hesitated. His face flushed, and he licked his lips nervously. Reaching out, he grasped both her hands in his and taking a deep breath, he continued.

"Because… I like you. I like you Kagome. It's more than like, I… oh gods, no, don't cry! Kagome, I'm sorry!" Pushing the wheeled table with her dinner on it out of the way, Inuyasha sat on the bed and pulled Kagome into his arms, rubbing her back, stroking her hair as she sobbed into his shoulder.

Kagome grabbed fistfuls of red fire rat on Inuyasha's suikan as she desperately tried to calm her sobs. She needed to talk to him dammit, and crying wasn't solving anything, it was just confusing him. She could hear his mournful whine as he rubbed his cheek against her hair; he probably thought he'd done something wrong when he'd just said everything right! Gulping, Kagome forced words out. They sounded ugly, not lilting at all as she fought for breath, but she didn't care.

"Yash… I… like you… too!", she managed, with a wail.

"Then what are you cryin' for stupid! I thought you must not like me at all!"

"Crying…'cause… I'm happeee". More pitiful wailing. 

Kagome slapped herself around mentally. 'Pull yourself together Kagome, he's finally told you what you've waited months to hear!' Choking back sobs, she pulled herself back from Inuyasha's shoulder, so she could look into his face. He was smiling at her. He chuckled.

"Look at you wench, you're all snotty."

Kagome sniffed hard, hiccupping a little as she still swallowed her tears. "If you really liked me, you wouldn't care about stuff like that."

He smiled again, stroking her cheek gently. "I more than like you, and you're right, I really don't care."

He bent his head down, and kissed her softly on the lips, and then pulled back, wrinkling his nose. "Hmm, maybe I care just a little."

Before she had a chance to let out an indignant huff, he leaned forward and grabbed a tissue from the box on the bedside table and held it to her nose. "Here, blow. And again." Finally satisfied, he tossed the tissue in the waste bin. "Right, where were we."

"You… you said you more than like me."

"Uh huh, I did."

"And…", Kagome pointed her finger to Inuyasha's slightly damp chest, "I more than like you, Inuyasha." Looking into his eyes she was touched to see them filling with tears, before he blinked them away rapidly.

"You do, huh", he said gruffly. He breathed out heavily. "I wasn't sure if I'd ever get to hear you say that to me. I hoped you did, but…" He ran his clawed fingers through her fringe, pushing it back from her face so he could see her better. "My Kagome."

Kagome's own eyes filled with tears again. If he didn't feel able to cry about stuff like this, then she had plenty to spare. "You silly jerk", she smiled through the tears spilling down her cheeks, "I love you."

Kagome leaned forward, placing her lips softly on his. They were warm, chapped, trembling slightly, and she smiled. His lips quirked up under hers in return; she could feel the very tip of his pointed canine teeth against her bottom lip. Their kisses were soft, slow and gentle, with rubbing noses and nuzzling cheeks, exploring touches and feelings that were only new. They were finally gaining confidence together when they were interrupted by the noise of a trolley.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry", squeaked the orderly collecting dinner plates. She eyed Kagome's untouched meal. "I'll come back for yours last, shall I?" She backed out of the door leaving the blushing teenagers behind; Inuyasha grumbling under his breath, and Kagome giggling behind her hand at being sprung by someone kissing in a semi-public place. Trying to get over his embarrassment, Inuyasha moved the small table holding Kagome's meal back in front of her.

"Gome, you'd better eat that. I don't want to give them any reason to keep you here longer than tomorrow." Kagome made a face and pulled the now cold dinner towards her.

"It's not a prison Inuyasha, they don't punish you for not eating your meals!" She moved the meat around the plate with the chopsticks despondently. "Do I have to?"

"Yup! Meat is good for you when you're healing. Remember when I caught the rabbits for you when you first got hurt? You ate the stew then."

"Yeah, that was stew, and it was yummy. I don't even know what animal this came from, it's just… grey. Here, you try it." She picked up a strip of the meat with the chopsticks and moved it towards Inuyasha's mouth. "Open", she demanded. After she had placed the meat into his open mouth, he chewed without comment, then swallowed.

"Okay wench, I'll do you a deal." He eyed her plate appraisingly. "For every five pieces of meat you eat, I'll give you one kiss tomorrow. And you gotta eat the rice so you don't get hungry later."

"What about the carrot?"

"Keh. I'd never force someone to eat carrots." Kagome giggled at him.

"I actually like carrots. Okay, you're on. You'd better be ready to pucker up, dog boy." Inuyasha pulled the cap off his head for a moment, then jammed it back on.

"The trolley's on it's way back, you better hurry Kagome!", he teased. Kagome quickly jammed pieces of meat into her mouth, storing them in her cheeks like a chipmunk. Inuyasha barked a laugh at her.

"Hey, no cheating wench!"

Kagome ignored him entirely, doing her best to worry down the cold tasteless meat. By the time the trolley arrived, all the meat was gone, and half the rice. She jammed the lid back on the plate and placed her chopsticks down on the tray, a little out of breath.

"Good work", praised the orderly picking up her tray. Kagome smiled at her.

"Even the hardest work can be easy with the proper motivation. Isn't that right Inuyasha?"

The orderly picked up the tray and placed it on her trolley, rolling her eyes as she left the blushing, giggling pair behind her. Teenagers.

Kagome breathed in a big lungful of air as the little group stepped outside the hospital into the morning sunshine. "Freedom!", she squealed, punching one arm up into the air. Inuyasha leaned his head away from her, ears flattening underneath the cap; even with the hat covering his sensitive ears, Kagome was just too damn loud.

Noticing his pained expression, Kagome grinned at him in apology. "Sorry, I'm just really happy to be out of there." She tucked her hand back in under his elbow, as he helped her walk over to the family car. Souta was running in excited circles around them, while Grandpa and Mama chatted, walking in front of them.

"You know, I could just carry you, and we'd get there much faster", grumbled Inuyasha, his ears still ringing slightly.

"No, I need the exercise; I need to be up to walking with everyone by the time we go back through the well. Have you talked to the others yet?"

Inuyasha growled under his breath. "Oh yeah, I talked to them alright. Don't worry, I punched Miroku for ya."

Kagome stopped for a moment, tugging on his sleeve. "Punched him? What on earth did you punch Miroku for!?"

"He knew Kagome!" he barked. "He knew about the damn hungry ghosts on the mountain and 'forgot' to tell us! Fucking useless houshi."

"Language, Inuyasha!"

"Sorry, Mama." Kagome giggled at Inuyasha's downcast face after Mama's good-natured rebuke and patted him on the arm in consolation.

"Well, I guess it all turned out okay. Don't punch him anymore. I'm sure he's sorry about it, and I need to find out more about them from him in case we ever run into them again."

Inuyasha glanced sideways at her. Mama had packed a summer dress and sandals for her to wear home from the hospital. Her neck and arms were bare, apart from the small bandage still covering the wound on her upper arm and an even smaller one in the crease of her elbow, where the medicine had gone into her arm through that machine. The pink checked fabric was gathered in at the waist and flared out over her hips, the skirt swirling around her legs in the summer breeze. He previously didn't pay much attention to what she wore, she was just Kagome. But just lately, he was noticing all sorts of things that he hadn't really let himself think about before. Her blue-black hair glimmered in the sunlight, fanning out around her face in the breeze, and he got a sudden waft of cherry blossom scent.

"Keh, you're too damn forgiving Kagome."

She grinned at him, tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear. "I might forgive, but that doesn't mean I forget. For instance, I haven't forgotten that you owe me, dog boy." She blushed slightly as she spoke, but the cheeky, teasing look she gave him from under her eyelashes made his heart stutter in his chest. He gulped a little.

"Who said I'd forgotten?" he teased back, holding up three fingers. Kagome bumped him playfully with her hip, and then hissed a little as her thigh twinged in protest. She barely had time to say 'ow' before Inuyasha had picked her up, and carried her the short distance to the car, putting her down gently. Before she could say anything, Mama, Souta and Grandpa had arrived, and everyone piled in, Mama and Grandpa in the front, and Souta, Inuyasha and Kagome in the back.

"Are we going straight to the cemetery Mama?", asked Souta, clicking his seatbelt into place as Mama guided the car carefully out of the hospital parking lot.

"Yes we are Souta. I made sure to pack everything before we came to the hospital to pick up Kagome."

Noticing Kagome's quiet expression, Inuyasha gently took hold of her hand, and squeezed it under the cover of his voluminous suikan sleeves. This was gonna suck. He was a little prepared, because Mama had told him about what would happen at the cemetery when they visited, but that didn't mean he was gonna like it. He hoped Kagome wouldn't cry, because if she did, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from comforting her, and he didn't know how her family would react. He knew he still felt sad when he visited his mother's grave, and he felt a sudden stab of guilt when he realised that he hadn't gone to visit her at all since Kagome had released him from Kikyo's arrow at the Goshinboku.

The short drive to the cemetery was mostly silent, with each family member thinking their own thoughts. When they arrived, and Mama parked the car, Inuyasha was surprised by the amount of people moving towards the gates. He helped Kagome out of the car, and she leaned on his arm again. "Are you okay 'Gome?", he whispered.

She smiled up at him. "I'm okay. I'm just wondering what Papa would have thought about all this. About the bone eater's well opening, and the shikon jewel, I mean." Her smile faltered, and her eyes glistened a little with unshed tears. "I just wish that he could have met you, Yash."

Inuyasha grunted. "Maybe it's a good thing that he never met me, Kagome."

Kagome glared at him from underneath her dark fringe. "What do you mean by that, Inuyasha?"

"Keh. It's not like any father would be happy to see me with their daughter Kagome", he muttered, and then yelped when Kagome pinched him hard on the arm. "Ow, what was that for?!"

Kagome glared at him, turning to face him, poking him hard in the chest with her forefinger.

"When are you going to get it through your thick skull that you have nothing to be ashamed of Inuyasha! You have fought through so many obstacles, just to be alive, and you are always trying to be stronger, to better yourself. I am proud of you! I am proud to stand by you! And I will not let you talk down about yourself. There is not one thing I would change about you. I love you just as you are, you jerk!"

Inuyasha's attempts to shush Kagome went unheeded, as her voice got gradually louder. Her passionate speech only stopped when she realised that people were clapping in the background, and she heard Souta whooping, "You tell 'im Sis!" Kagome's eyes widened, and her face flushed; she buried her face into Inuyasha's chest, moaning a little in extreme embarrassment.

Inuyasha chuckled, his cheeks also a little flushed. "Well, you sure told me wench. Got that all outa your system now, have ya?", he teased, stroking her hair gently. A muffled squeak was his only answer. "Well, seein' I'm not an embarrassment, we shouldn't keep your father waiting huh?" He pushed her back from his chest gently, trying to look into her eyes, but unable to because she had them screwed tightly shut. "C'mon 'Gome. It's not that bad, everyone's gone now, see?"

Kagome cracked open one eye. Most of the parking lot was empty now, except for the three grinning faces of her family, waiting next to the car. Souta was holding the bucket and water dipper, still dancing around. "That was awesome Kagome! You love her too, right Inuyasha? Are you guys gonna get married now? I'd love to have you as a big brother!"

"They're a little young to be getting married, Souta dear", said Mama, smiling at her son's disappointed face, and Kagome and Inuyasha's sudden combined interest in the ground at their feet.

"Aww!" He rushed over to Inuyasha and Kagome and tugged on Inuyasha's hand. "C'mon Inuyasha, let's go!" Inuyasha let himself be tugged forward a little by Souta and held his other arm out for Kagome.

"Hey squirt, not too fast. Kagome only just got outa hospital, ya don't want to send her back there straight away, do ya?"

Souta paused for a moment, waiting to give Kagome a moment to place her hand in the crook of Inuyasha's elbow, and they made their way through the gate of the cemetery, pausing at a tap to wash their hands and fill up the wooden bucket with fresh water. Inuyasha now carried the full bucket, which was too heavy for Souta, and they wound their way along the paths under the cherry trees, passing by the many headstones and families visiting with their loved ones to the Higurashi family gravestone.

When they arrived, Inuyasha placed the bucket down next to the wrapped flowers that Mama had placed in front of the grave, and hung back a little, uncertain of where he should stand. He didn't want to upset anyone by being in the way. The only graves he had ever visited were his mother's, and he had always gone alone, and his father's. Kagome had been there for that visit, and he doubted she wanted anything like that to happen around here. He silently watched as the family bowed before the grave in greeting.

Mama reached for the flowers, unwrapping the paper from the delicate rust coloured chrysanthemums. "Inuyasha, could you bring the bucket and dipper over closer to me please?" He picked it up and placed it next to her, and then seeing Kagome and Souta pulling weeds that had grown up around the headstone, bent down to help them. 

Grandpa busied himself cleaning out the vase and incense holder, while Mama stood silently next to the gravestone, carefully pouring each dipper full of water over the marble to clean it. The wet speckled stone gleamed in the sunlight, and everyone in the family very carefully avoided drawing attention to the tears in Mama's eyes as she concentrated on her task. Mama then wiped down the gravestone with a cloth, paying careful attention to the engraved inscriptions. 

Once the headstone and the ground around it was clean, Mama arranged the chrysanthemums into the vase, and Grandpa placed a bundle of incense sticks in the holder, lighting them carefully, the smell of sandalwood mixing pleasantly with the earthy floral fragrance.

Souta jumped up and down excitedly. "Can I go first Mama?" He bowed in front of the grave again and clasped his palms together in prayer as he spoke aloud.

"It's nice to visit you again Papa! I'm in third grade now and doing pretty okay; I like science but I'm not very good at shodo. I'm still in soccer club after school, and I'm doing kendo now too, it's awesome!" He glanced sideways at Inuyasha. "I'm hoping Inuyasha will practice kendo with me, so I can get better really quickly! Thank you, Papa for continuing to look after us. Oh, and say hi to Grandma too." He bowed again and moved out of the way.

Kagome stepped forward and bent low. She straightened slowly, Inuyasha noting the pain on her face as she stood, trying to put most of her weight on her uninjured leg. His arms twitched, wanting to reach out and help her, but he held back as she clasped her hands in front of her.

"Papa, Grandma, honoured ancestors, I humbly ask for your continued support for our family. This past year has been quite stressful in many ways, but I believe that I am growing to meet the challenges placed before me." She swallowed. "Papa, I wish I could talk to you about how to improve my skills as a miko. I wish I had been old enough to train more with you, so I was better prepared now. You are always in my heart – I hope that I can make you proud of me." She wobbled a little, and Inuyasha stepped forward, and helped her to sit down on the little kerb on the edge of the path.

He looked up and Mama and Grandpa Higurashi, fidgeting a little. "Uh, is it okay if I say something?"

He walked over to the front of the grave, and gave a very formal bow, holding it as he spoke.

"My name is Inuyasha, son of Inu no Taisho, Lord of the Western Lands and Lady Izayoi." He stood, fighting the urge to fidget or tap his foot, racking his brain for any lessons in manners that his mother might have taught him. That bastard Sesshomaru probably knew all about this sort of stuff. He swallowed the urge to growl at the thought of his brother, and tried to concentrate, his hands at his sides.

"I have been travelling with Kagome in our quest to recover the shards of the Shikon Jewel and ultimately to defeat the demon Naraku. Kagome has the ability to see the shards, and her skills as a miko are growing daily. She is working very hard, and I am very proud of her."

Inuyasha bowed his head again. "Even though I am a hanyou and I know I am unworthy, I pledge myself to protect your daughter, the Miko Kagome. She was injured recently, and for that I offer my deepest apologies." He swallowed. "She is… precious to me, and I will continue to work to one day be deserving of her affections. Please continue to watch over her."

Inuyasha stood again and was surprised to feel a pat on his shoulder from Grandpa Higurashi. "Take Kagome and Souta back to the car, boy. We will join you there in a minute."

Inuyasha helped Kagome to her feet, and they walked slowly along the path back to the front gate, with Souta running out in front of them, the empty bucket swinging in his hand. Inuyasha took Kagome's hand in his, and she could feel his fingers twitching within hers.

"What's wrong Inuyasha?", she asked softly.

"Did I upset your Grandpa? I know I'm not very good with words. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything; I just wanted to apologise for you getting hurt." He growled, hitting his fist on his thigh. "This is why it's easier to just punch stuff!"

Kagome squeezed his hand. "I don't think you upset Grandpa at all. He and Mama usually spend some time there by themselves every year; Papa died eight years ago, and Grandma died when I was just a baby, but they still love and miss them very much. I think they just don't like us seeing them get upset." She rubbed her thumb up and down his hand. "Did… did you really mean what you said? About being proud of me?"

Inuyasha groaned a little. "Why would you not think I was proud of you wench?" He stopped and hugged her closely to him for a moment, resting his head on top of hers. "Kagome, you've known me long enough now to know that I'm crap at this stuff. Growin' up starving in the forest, running from demons and being hated by humans didn't really help my conversational skills, ya know?" He planted a small kiss on top of her head. "I wanna try though, for you okay? And I know I'm gonna get embarrassed in front of other people, and avoid talking about stuff, and I'll probably say the wrong thing most of the time, but… I'll do my best."

Kagome rubbed her face against the rough fur of the fire rat, her voice slightly muffled. "That's all I can ask of you Inuyasha. You do your best to keep talking to me, and not shut me out, and I'll do my best not to be too jealous of… of Kikyo."

"You don't have anything to be jealous about you know."

Kagome yawned. She really wanted to talk about Kikyo with him. Every other time she had tried to talk about it he had clammed up totally, but her thigh was throbbing with all the exercise she'd given it this morning, and her brain was just so goddamned tired.

Inuyasha scooped her up. "You need a nap 'Gome."

Kagome snuggled sleepily into his chest. "Just gimme five minutes." By the time they reached the car she was fast asleep.

After they had arrived back at the shrine, and Mama and Inuyasha had tucked Kagome safely up in her bed, Grandpa Higurashi beckoned to Inuyasha. "Come outside with me boy, there's something I need to show you."

Inuyasha stopped himself rolling his eyes at the request, but it was an effort. "Fine." Grandpa walked out the back of the house, and led Inuyasha to the storage shed, where all his 'treasures' were kept. Inuyasha sneezed as they walked into the room. They'd just finished dusting this place, and it still irritated his nose. "What ya wanna show me, old man?"

Grandpa Higurashi shuffled a few different scrolls around on a shelf. Inuyasha snorted. "Aw, c'mon, I thought we were past you throwin' ofudas at me. They don't even hurt ya know, you're wastin' your time!"

"No boy, that's not what I'm looking for. Ah, here it is!" He walked over to the small table in the middle of the room and unrolled what looked to be a painting. He held it open so that Inuyasha could examine it thoroughly.

A sunset lit the hills and buildings in the background, and in the foreground a couple argued. The woman was dressed in what looked like a white kosode with a strange green collar with a red cloth knotted underneath it. She was also wearing some sort of green hakama, but it seemed very short. Her long blue-black hair whipped around her face; her hankyu bow clutched firmly in one fist, while her head turned to glare behind her. Her companion was obviously a demon, his long white hair, pointed ears and fangs made that obvious. He was growling at her, his arm reaching towards her, his bright red suikan topped with a necklace made from a mixture of mala and magatama beads. Tucked into the belt of his matching hakama was a sword, the battered hilt had obviously seen better days.

"This painting is around five hundred years old", said Grandpa Higurashi. "I came across it in an antique store when Kagome was a baby, and I was compelled to buy it. I'm not sure if Kagome has ever told you, but I am not able to effectively channel Reiki outwards as she does. That particular skill of hers has been passed on from my son. My reiki manifests itself through dreams, and visions after touching particular objects."

"Kagome has weird dreams sometimes" muttered Inuyasha, still staring at the painting that was obviously of himself and Kagome.

"Really? Hmm, interesting." He tapped his forefinger on his chin in thought for a moment, then waved his hand impatiently. 

"We're getting off track boy. Where was I? Ah, yes. The first time I touched this painting, I received a vision. A vision of a young girl, who I later realised was Kagome, being chased by multiple demons. You were there also, but it was unclear to me if you were protecting her or attacking her." At Inuyasha's low growl, he added, "Now I know that you were protecting her, of course." 

Grandpa sighed. "I also began having dreams, of Kagome being trapped, chased, shot by arrows. When Kagome first disappeared, and you came into the kitchen demanding she follow you back into the past, is it any wonder that I tried to attack you? Not very effectively, I admit. But I was terrified that these things in my dreams would come to pass. Are these visions true?"

Inuyasha looked at him without answering. "I see", he sighed again. "Kagome's mother and I have discussed this at length. In the beginning, we had almost decided to block the well from our side. But then we were worried about the implications of that action for our time. Kagome is obviously part of the history there in your time; this painting is evidence of that. And there is currently no unrest from demons in our time. If they do exist, they keep themselves hidden very well, I have never come across one."

Inuyasha looked down at the painting again. It made him look animalistic and fierce. Is this how humans in his time saw him? Kagome on the other hand looked radiantly beautiful. A strange feeling of unease strangled his throat and made his voice rough. "Is there any point to this discussion, old man?", he growled.

"I'm getting to that!", Grandpa Higurashi snapped impatiently. "What I want to say is, I am trusting you, with the life of my granddaughter. I have never told her mother about the dreams I have had; they are too disturbing. But one dream lately has been recurring. Seven humans. Humans that are more than humans. I believe that both you and Kagome will be in grave danger." His hand shot out and clutched around Inuyasha's wrist, and Inuyasha looked up, surprised by the anguished look on the old man's face.

"Please, I beg you, protect my granddaughter! I have already lost my wife and son, I do not think I could bear to lose my grandchild as well."

Inuyasha looked into his eyes. Gone was the annoying old man; he could just see another who valued Kagome's life as much as he did.

"I love Kagome", Inuyasha said softly. "There is nothing I would not do to save her life and keep her safe, even if it meant sacrificing my own."

Grandpa Higurashi's eyes searched Inuyasha's for a moment, and a single tear rolled down his weathered cheek. "I believe you", he said raspily. He squeezed Inuyasha's wrist, and then swiped his arm across his face, wiping away tears. 

"Right, get back to the house, it's nearly time for lunch", he muttered. Turning his back on Inuyasha, he bustled about, moving things around on the shelves. Taking the hint, Inuyasha left the shed, leaving Grandpa alone with his thoughts.

He walked around the house to Kagome's window, and jumped up, stepping through the opening. Kagome was still asleep, curled up on her side, her long dark hair spilling off the pillow and down the edge of the bed. She looked so beautiful, so peaceful. He sat down on the floor next to her bed and watched as she breathed softly, one blue-black curl caught tenderly between his fingers.


	10. The heart that beats

Kagome yawned and stretched, luxuriating in the softness of her surroundings. She blinked sleepily, and then jerked backwards in alarm at the gold coloured eyes only a short distance away from her own.

The sunlight was streaming in her bedroom window, catching Inuyasha's eyes at just the right angle so that they almost looked lit from within, like citrine quartz crystals. His gaze was serious, a little concerned, and she immediately felt sad that she had caused him to worry so in the last few days. Reaching out, she stroked his cheek gently, and smiled as he tilted his head to push into her hand.

"I'm sorry", she whispered.

"Keh. Don't matter Kagome. If you needed to sleep, then that's fine."

Kagome shook her head, pushing herself to sit upright in bed.

"No, I mean for the last few days, all I've done is worry you. I'm sorry I was hurt and that you've had to look after me." Kagome was surprised when Inuyasha shoved on her shoulder gently.

"Budge over wench."

She shuffled sideways on the bed a little, and he sat down next to her, pulling her into his lap. He bent forwards to sniff at her injured thigh, ignoring the indignant shoves from Kagome. Sitting up again, he sniggered at the glowering scowl on her face.

"So?"

He quirked a dark eyebrow at her. "So, do I pass the sniff test, Inuyasha?" She crossed her arms in a huff, thrusting her bottom lip out in a pout. "So rude".

He grinned at her. "Aww, c'mon 'Gome, I thought rudeness was one of my more endearing qualities." When she didn't smile right away, he 'booped' her on the end of her nose with his long, clawed forefinger. "The wound on your leg smells much better. Still a little off, but you're healing. And you've got some colour back in your cheeks too." He pulled her tightly against him, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"How does your leg feel? Is it still hurting?"

"It's fine", she muttered.

"Is that a Kagome fib? Don't think I haven't noticed when you do that." He tugged gently on one of her ears in reprimand. "You do it to your mother all the time; leave important stuff out, don't tell her when you're hurt, and I know you do it to us too."

Kagome wriggled uneasily on his lap. "It's just… why make people worry?"

"Kagome, I'm gonna worry about you anyway, so it'd be nice if you told me the truth, so I worry less".

"Okaaay, jeez. It was aching this morning after walking around the cemetery, but it feels a bit better now. I need to take some more of my medication with lunch, which will probably help."

"Alright." Kagome felt Inuyasha swallow. "There's somewhere I wanna go after lunch, back through the well. I don't even know if the place would still be here in your time", he said, with a sad note to his voice. "If you're feeling well enough, would you like to go with me? We'd be back by dinner. You don't hafta, it's fine if you'd rather rest here… I'd just, like it… if you came, I mean."

Kagome nuzzled her head into his neck. "If it's important to you, then I'd like to go. I don't want to slow you down though, I'm not exactly up to a ten-mile hike yet."

Inuyasha kissed the top of her head, then her forehead. A little puzzled by his silence, she tilted her head back, so she could see his expression, and he cradled her face in his large hands, kissing one cheek, then the other, rubbing his nose against hers. The faint rumbling growl which she had come to associate with his happiness vibrated against her chest. She reached up and ran her fingers through his choppy fringe, and then twisted one of his long side locks around her forefinger.

"Um, shouldn't we go downstairs for lunch, Inuyasha? I'm sure Mama will come upstairs to get us if we don't go down soon."

"In a minute", he rumbled. "I'm kinda busy right now."

"Um, busy?", squeaked Kagome, as Inuyasha nuzzled his nose into her neck.

He sighed. "I missed you when you when you weren't here. Staying in this room with you not in it just wasn't right. I could smell you, but I couldn't see you or touch you. I just…", he sighed again.

"You know I'm not good at showing you how I feel with words Kagome, but maybe… with a little practice, I could be good at this."

"At… at what?"

Inuyasha chuckled, a faint blush warming his cheeks as he grinned mischievously at her. Cupping her face between his hands again, he smiled. "One", he rumbled, and tilted her head to kiss her gently on the lips.

Kagome's eyes fluttered closed, her cheeks burning as she as she tried to relax her head into Inuyasha's cupped hands, so she could melt into the kiss. At first his mouth was tentative, a gentle pressure on hers, his lips moving softly, almost as if he were afraid he might break her.

She shifted her weight in his lap, leaning her hands against his chest and twisting around so she was facing him more fully, and moved her mouth against his, lips slightly open, applying a gentle cautious pressure, chasing his softness and heat. When he responded by licking his tongue against her bottom lip, tasting, she couldn't help but let a small whimper escape.

"My Kagome," he breathed, his thumbs sliding against her cheeks, caressing the soft skin. Kagome smiled, her eyes misting with happy tears. He leaned forward to kiss her again, first one corner of her smile and then the other. His soft low rumble vibrated against Kagome's chest, filling her with warmth, her body melting against his. Greatly daring, she slowly swept her own tongue against the seam of his lips, and the rumble escalated into a soft growl. He responded by nipping at her lip, his fangs scraping the skin as he pulled gently. Another soft whimper left Kagome's mouth, as a liquid feeling in her stomach tightened. Her lips closed over his again, greedy for more, and when Inuyasha's tongue touched against her slightly opened lips, she welcomed it eagerly with her own.

Inuyasha's hands slid into her hair, his claws scraping her scalp lightly, and Kagome wound her arms around his neck, trying to get closer to him. Even with their bodies pressed tightly together, their tongues dancing against each other, she still didn't feel close enough. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she broke the kiss momentarily so that she could she could move her legs from sitting sideways on his lap to straddling him, pressing her chest tightly to his. Her dark chocolate eyes locked on his golden ones, seeing her need mirrored in his gaze.

"Gome, what are you doing to me?", he breathed, his fingers gently tracing a path from her forehead down to her collar bone.

She smiled coyly at him, biting her bottom lip. "I don't exactly know, but I think I like it."

His eyes widened suddenly, pupils dilating, and that low growl was back. He grinned at her. "Come 'ere wench." His fingers wound their way back into her hair, pulling her face towards him for another bruising kiss. Kagome moaned against him. She was burning, and couldn't help the slight rocking of her hips as she sat in Inuyasha's lap. She had never kissed anyone like this before; the feeling was so intense, so overwhelming, but at the same time she couldn't get enough of it. Even in her dreams and fantasies about Inuyasha, it hadn't felt this good. 

Her arms wound around Inuyasha's neck, fingernails biting into his shoulders, and she gasped as his mouth moved to her throat, licking at the pulse point, nibbling at her shoulder. 

He breathed against her throat, making the damp skin where his tongue had worshiped tingle. "Do you know how hard it is to be around you sometimes Kagome, when you smell so good?"

Kagome sighed, feeling boneless as Inuyasha continued to nibble and lick his way towards her collarbone. A teasing thought popped into her head, and before she could think about it too much, she grinned, rocking her hips against his suggestively. "I don't know Inuyasha, tell me, exactly how hard is it?"

Inuyasha paused his movements for a moment, then chuckled against her neck. "Are you teasing me wench?" He straightened up, staring into her darker eyes, a growl rumbling in his chest.

Kagome leaned back a little and looked at him uncertainly, her cheeks pink. "Do you like me teasing you?" she squeaked.

A wicked fanged grin slanted across Inuyasha's face, and his clawed fingers ran slowly down her back until he cupped her shapely bottom cheeks in his large hands and pulled her tightly against him, so she could feel the hardness of his arousal pressed between them. "Does that answer your question?" he rumbled softly into her ear, his teeth nipping at her earlobe gently.

Knock, knock, knock. "Kagome? Are you awake?"

Kagome's mother's voice from the hallway behind the closed bedroom door had them parting at lightning speed, Inuyasha rolling off the bed with a thud onto the floor and Kagome scrambling back under the covers, frantically patting down her mussed-up hair.

"Yes Mama, what is it?"

"You need to come downstairs for lunch. I read all the details on your medication and you need to take it with food." They heard her footsteps retreating down the hallway. "Oh, and if Inuyasha is in there with you, tell him to come too."

They looked at each other wide eyed for a moment, breathing heavily, hearts pounding, then broke into nervous laughter, hands closing the distance between them.

"So, you still haven't told me where we're going", said Kagome, her hands resting on Inuyasha's shoulders for balance as he sprinted through the woods, her pink checked summer dress hiked up a little to accommodate Inuyasha's warm hands on her thighs. The wind whipped her ponytail around, the matching pink ribbon she had worn fluttering in the warm breeze.

They had popped up through the well, and after Inuyasha had bent down to let her climb onto his back, he had taken off in the opposite direction they would usually take to go to the village, towards the hills in the distance. They had been running for about an hour, and now that the trees were becoming sparser, Kagome could see that they were almost at the foot of the hills, with rocks and grass now beginning to cover the landscape.

Inuyasha didn't say anything, but he began to slow down. He leapt easily over the boulders blocking their path and came to a stop at the bottom of a grassy hill dotted with pink and white cosmos flowers, their heavy heads swaying on long slender stems in the warm summer air. He crouched down, allowing Kagome to slide off his back. Even though they were now clear of the forest, she could still hear the muffled screech of cicadas in the distance.

"Did you need to take a break? I have water in my backpack if you need it?", Kagome asked, slinging the bag off her shoulder to pull a drink bottle out. Even though Inuyasha had said they would be back by dinner time, she just didn't feel prepared in the feudal era without bringing her back pack along.

Inuyasha shook his head and walked over to a large boulder at the base of the hill. He placed his shoulder against it, and with a little effort, pushed it aside, revealing a small cave, the top of the opening a little lower than Inuyasha's height, and about twice his width. He plonked himself down cross legged on the soft grass in front of it.

Kagome joined him carefully, sitting on her knees with her feet tucked behind her. Her thigh complained at the sudden stretch, but she ignored it, a little anxious at Inuyasha's continued silence.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness within the cave, she peered in, noticing a pile of carefully placed stones in a long rectangular shape. Each of the stones was smooth and white, not like the dark rock of the cave surrounding it, and Kagome realised that they must have been carried here from the river that flowed near the village.

Slowly, she reached her hand forward to Inuyasha's thigh, gently coaxing his clenched fingers apart so she could entwine their fingers together and dropped her head to lean on his shoulder. She wasn't one hundred percent sure, but she could take a pretty good guess at whose grave was in front of them.

"Her name was Izayoi", said Inuyasha softly. "She had beautiful long dark hair and a gentle smile. She was kind, even to people who treated her harshly. Even though being my mother brought her nothing but hardship, she… she loved me."

Kagome said nothing, but continued to lean on Inuyasha, gently rubbing her thumb against his hand. He dropped his head to lean on hers, sighing gently. "She's been dead for over two hundred years, but I still miss her", he said gruffly, rubbing his cheek on Kagome's hair.

"Mama once said to me, when we were talking about Papa and how much it hurt me to think about him sometimes, that grief is just love with nowhere to go", said Kagome gently. "It doesn't matter when she died; she was your mother, and you will always miss her, just like I will always miss my father."

Inuyasha yanked up the grass blades next to him with his other hand absentmindedly. "I just wish I could have helped her more when she died. I was only a pup, not much younger than Souta. She was sick; I had tried to get medicine, but no-one would…" He gulped, remembering the angry faces of the villagers, yelling at him to get out as he pleaded for help, grown men throwing rocks and threatening him with shovels and scythes, driving him away. "We were travelling to the next town to find another healer when the snow storm hit. I found us this cave, tried to keep her warm and dry, but it wasn't enough."

Kagome squeezed his hand. She was horrified by his story, and imagined him as a little boy Souta's age, pleading with villagers for help but being turned away, struggling to help his dying mother, and then having to bury her alone. She buried her face in his shoulder, struggling to hold back tears.

"Inuyasha, I'm so sorry."

Not knowing what else to say, they sat silently together for a while, leaning on each other. Kagome had never seen Inuyasha so still, usually he was all bluster and impatience, but here he was quiet and calm. Looking at their surroundings she had a sudden idea. She gave the back of Inuyasha's hand a heartfelt kiss, and then let go, rising to her feet with an effort.

"Kagome, what are you…"

"Just stay there and visit with your mama for a moment Yash, I'll be right back, I promise." As she turned to leave, she stroked his ears gently with her fingertips, and smiled as his head moved to chase the caress.

In ten minutes she was back by his side, clutching a large bunch of the pink and white cosmos flowers. She sat back down with difficulty, stretching her injured leg out, and hissing a little in effort.

"Kagome…"

Kagome waved her hand at him, ignoring his protest. "Don't worry, it's fine. You'll carry me back home right?", she said brightly. She placed the bunch of flowers in her lap, and then reached up into her hair and pulled out the pale pink ribbon, looping the shiny satin around the flower stems and arranging it into an artful bow.

Shuffling forwards on her knees, she reached into the cave and gently placed the flowers onto the stones, placing her palms together in prayer.

She leaned as far forward as her injured thigh would allow, and then sat back up.

"My name is Higurashi Kagome", she began softly. "I know your son, Inuyasha. I thought that you would want to know, as his mother, that he is loved. He has friends and family who care for him very much." She felt Inuyasha's hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing. "He is strong, loyal and brave, and I know that you would be proud of him, just as I am. I will stay by his side, and he will never be lonely again."

Inuyasha helped Kagome to her feet and squeezed her in a rib cracking bear hug. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. Kagome understood, and she hugged him back, as hard as she could. When he spoke, his voice was a little gravelly.

"C'mon wench, I need to get you home."

With a little effort, he pushed the boulder back in front of the cave, hiding the smooth white stones and the delicate summer flowers bound by a pink ribbon from the afternoon sunshine.

The next day was spent quietly, tidying up around the shrine, chatting, eating, laughing with Kagome's family. It almost seemed like a dream to Inuyasha. He was so used to being on constant alert, ready to fight at a moments notice, that the calm friendly family atmosphere felt a little alien to him. The only thing grounding him was Kagome's constant presence, her scent, her smile, her laughter.

She and Souta were in the courtyard, trying to teach him steps to some of the bon dances.

"Okay, I was thinking we might start with the Tankō Bushi dance", said Kagome, tapping her cheek. "It's pretty simple and the actions are easy to remember. It's telling a story about a coalminer finishing his work and stopping to look at the moon."

"Yeah, that should be easy for me to remember wench, 'cause I know so much about coal mining."

"Bite me, Dog Boy."

Kagome was surprised and a little flustered when she saw the sudden wide-eyed expression on Inuyasha's face, a blush rising on his cheeks. Suddenly remembering the way his teeth had gently pressed on her bottom lip yesterday, the way he had reacted when she bit her own lip, the way his fangs had felt as they nibbled her way down her neck, she realised 'oh, he has a thing for… um, yeah that's… oh boy'. Her thoughts took off on their own, and heat flooded her cheeks.

"Hey Sis, you okay?", asked Souta, taking in her flustered expression. "You're not feeling sick, are you? Should I go get Mama?" He started to jog back towards the house but was stopped by Inuyasha.

"She's fine kid, don't worry." Waving his hand in front of Kagome's face he grumbled, "Hey, Kagome! Let's get on with it huh? If I'm gonna embarrass myself stuffing this up in front of other people, I'd like to at least look like I know what I'm meant to be doing."

With a start, she focused her eyes back on Inuyasha. "Oh, I'm sorry", she laughed uncertainly, rubbing the back of her neck, "I guess I just got lost in my thoughts for a moment."

Inuyasha snickered, and leaned in to whisper into her ear. "Don't think I don't know what you were thinking about wench, 'cause I'm pretty sure we were both thinking the same thing." He grinned at her as her pink cheeks suddenly turned a shade darker.

Shutting her eyes and shaking her head, she suddenly clapped her hands forcefully in front of herself. "Dancing! Back to dancing!" She peeked with one eye at Inuyasha, who was still grinning at her.

"Inuyasha, you're not going to be embarrassed. This is meant to be fun okay? And you won't be the only one who doesn't know the steps. Tourists come to Bon Odori all the time, and they just follow along behind other people, and get the steps wrong. Everyone giggles, but not in a mean way, it's just part of the fun."

"What if I'm not good at having fun, Kagome?"

Kagome giggled at him, but after looking at his expression realised that he was being serious. "Hey Souta, it's a little warm out here. Do you think you could go get us all some cold drinks?" Grumbling a little about bossy older sisters, Souta headed back towards the house, and once he was out of earshot, she took Inuyasha's hand in hers.

"What's wrong, Yash?"

"I don't know. Well, I sorta do, but you're gonna think it's stupid."

"I think a lot of the things you do are stupid Inuyasha", she teased, but then when he didn't smile, she dropped the teasing tone, and stroked his cheek. "Hey, you know you can talk to me about anything right? That we were going to try and talk to each other more."

The corners of his mouth turned down in a frustrated grimace, and he dropped his head to rest his forehead on hers. "It's so different here. I've never spent so long in your time before, and the smells are different, and there's this background noise that hums all the time." He rubbed his thumb against the smaller hand enclosing his. "But at the same time it's peaceful. Your family is kind to me. They don't care that I'm a hanyou. There aren't any demons attacking us." He sighed. "Kagome, I know that's a good thing, but I'm not used to not having to be on alert, and it's makin' me think I'm missing danger signals, that I should be more on guard, and it makes my stomach feel all…"

He stopped when Kagome suddenly hugged him tightly. "If you want, we can go back to the past right now. My leg is hardly hurting at all, and I can bring the medicine with me. Let me just let Mama know and I'll pack my bag."

Inuyasha dropped his head on top of hers. "Nuh uh. I told you I wanted to take you to this dance thing Kagome. And I do. I want to prove to you that I can do normal stuff with you." Muttering under his breath he added. "Stuff that Hobo guy would do."

Moving her head so she could peek up at him, Kagome grinned. "You're seriously not jealous of Hojo, right?"

"No!", he scoffed, way too fast.

She dug a finger into his ribs. "You are! That's hilarious!", she giggled, looking up at his stony-faced expression. "Inuyasha, I don't think about Hojo that way at all. He's… nice."

"What's that sposed ta mean?"

"There's no spark", she tried to explain. "When I'm with you, it makes me feel…", her eyes filled a little, her emotions getting the better of her.

"Like crying?! That makes me feel a whole lot better, wench!"

She slapped him on the arm. "No you jerk. I'm trying to have a moment here with you, and you're ruining it!"

He grinned at her, and then coughed, donning a mock serious expression. "Sorry, carry on. I'm ready."

She looked back up at him, her nose crinkled in annoyance. "You're hopeless."

He smiled at her, tapping her on the tip of her nose. "And you're cute when you look like that. Makes me wanna annoy you more, just to see that face again."

"Oh really", she grumbled, trying to back out of the hug, but he just held her tighter.

"It's not the only thing it makes me wanna do", he said, dropping his mouth to hers.

Mama Higurashi stopped looking out the kitchen window, and turned back to Souta, who was just about to head out the door with three cans of soft drink held in his arms. "Souta dear, why don't you grab a couple of the cookies I just baked to go with those drinks. I'm sure Inuyasha and Kagome are hungry too."

"Sure, thanks Mama", he chirped, putting the drinks down on the table and walking over to the bench where the cookies were cooling on a rack.

Mama turned back to look out the window where she watched a boy with dog ears and long silver hair kiss her daughter gently. She smiled a little wistfully, and then made sure to bang the door against the wall when opening it for Souta, to give them a little warning.

Standing behind Kagome as she stood in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom, Mama secured the cherry blossom kanzashi into Kagome's hair with a pin. "Are you sure you didn't want me to put your hair up dear?", she asked again.

"No, Inu… I sort of prefer it down now", replied Kagome, smearing some light pink gloss on her lips.

Her mother stepped back to take in the full view of Kagome in her yukata. The pale pink with a white geometric cherry blossom pattern and dark pink petals contrasted with her dark hair beautifully and accentuated the slight pink of her cheeks. Her periwinkle blue obi had a red and purple obijime cord decorating the central knot. A pair of plain black geta were waiting for her downstairs to wear when she left the house.

Mama nodded, pleased that the ensemble had come together so nicely. She had brought it as a surprise for Kagome while she was in hospital and had taken along an extremely reluctant Inuyasha to help choose it. His only input had been that Kagome smelt like cherry blossoms, and that he'd like it if there was a touch of red on her yukata somewhere.

She grinned, thinking back to their shopping trip. He had been even more reluctant when she had taken him to the next store to buy a yukata for himself, but she had insisted. It had taken a while, but she had finally tracked down a red men's yukata with a plain black obi for him. After making him try it on and asking his opinion, he commented that it was a little more 'breezy' than he was used to. After pondering his meaning for a moment, she had silently added a pair of plain black boxers to their purchases.

He'd almost balked at the plain black geta she'd bought, but when she'd mentioned that all the other young men taking girls to the festival would be wearing them, he had huffily agreed that he would try and wear them, even though they were stupid. She smirked a little behind her hand. Such a transparent boy.

She gazed at her daughter, eyes a little misty. Toshi would have been so proud of her. She was strong, capable, courageous and beautiful. She knew that eventually she would have to say farewell to this beautiful girl of theirs and let her leave this house to live her own life. At times it felt like it would be too much to bear, having to say goodbye to another part of her life with Toshi, but it was her duty as a mother to let her child find her own way in the world. And speaking of duty…

"Kagome my dearest, I can't help but notice that your relationship with Inuyasha has… progressed over the last few days since you've been home." She watched Kagome's reflection in the mirror, her eyes round with surprise, her blush almost matching the hot pink petals on her yukata.

"Wha…"

"I'm very happy for you both my darling, truly I am. But as your mother, there's something I must say to you. I may love Inuyasha very much, but there is no way that I am old enough to become a grandmother yet."

"Mama!", screeched Kagome, turning to face her mother with a scandalised expression. "We haven't… I mean, I… why would you say that!"

Mama smiled. "Kagome, I know maths wasn't your strongest subject at school, but haven't you ever wondered about the fact that your father and my wedding anniversary is in August, but you were born at the beginning of April? Your arrival definitely wasn't premature, in fact you arrived a week later than expected."

"Oh."

"Yes, oh", smiled Mama. "My parents had a lot more to say about it than 'oh'. I was almost eighteen, so it wasn't so very bad. And of course your father and I wanted to get married, and we were so happy to have you." Her gaze became a little firmer. "But you are not eighteen, not even seventeen yet. I know Inuyasha is much older, even though he doesn't seem so at times, but I'm not sure you're entirely ready for all the complications that sex can bring to a relationship."

Kagome writhed a little in embarrassment. Then a feeling of dread washed over her. "Mama, you're not saying that I can't be with Inuyasha at all are you?", she asked, her bottom lip trembling a little.

Mama Higurashi hugged her tightly. "No, no, that's not what I'm saying at all dearest girl. I would never try and keep you apart. You're obviously meant to be together."

She placed her hands gently on Kagome's shoulders. "What I'm saying is, I think you should just keep things they way they are now. Have fun. Try not to move too fast. And even though I'm not the best example of that", she laughed a little, "sometimes the girl needs to be the one to try and keep a level head, seeing that she's the one that might get left 'holding the baby' so to speak. Not that I think", she added, seeing Kagome's outraged expression, "that Inuyasha would ever leave you if something like that happened."

She smiled. "I've actually made an appointment for you to see my gynaecologist tomorrow morning, if that's okay. Sixteen is a good age to go on the pill, if you'd like to, and it would put my mind at ease. Just in case."

Unable to speak for a moment, Kagome nodded her assent. Even her scalp was tingling in embarrassment. Her mother had always been so candid about this sort of stuff, which in some ways made things easier, but her relationship with Inuyasha was still so new; they'd only kissed a few times!

Kagome's mother grinned at her. It was so easy to get a rise out of Kagome that she just couldn't resist sometimes. "Why don't you go downstairs and wait with that boy of yours while the rest of us get ready. I'd like to take some photos of everyone in front of the Goshinboku before we leave."

As she turned to go, she was surprised as Kagome hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Mama", she whispered. "Thank you for accepting Inuyasha as he is."

Mama smiled, and kissed Kagome's hair. "He is a dear sweet boy under all the bark and bite", she chuckled. "And besides, how could I not love those ears." They both sighed a little dreamily, and Kagome trotted downstairs to see if she could find Inuyasha.

She found him outside, standing underneath the Goshinboku, waiting for the sun to set. He turned to look at her as she clomped towards him a little unsteadily in the geta, not having worn them for a while.

"Here you are", she said, a little breathlessly, still getting over her embarrassment.

"Well, I thought it was better to come outside. You and your mother seemed to be having a conversation that was meant to be private", he said, his cheeks flushing a little.

"Oh, you heard that", she said, not sure what else to say.

He took one of her hands gently in his. "You know Gome, I would never make you do anything you weren't ready for." He looked down at the ground. "I may be a dog hanyou, but I'm not an animal. I can control myself you know", he muttered.

Kagome looked up at him with round eyes. "Oh, Yash, Mama wasn't implying that you couldn't control yourself at all! She just loves us and is doing her best to take care of us. I know it's a little embarrassing, but she meant well."

"Oh", he breathed. "That's alright then, I guess." Taking in her appearance, he smiled. "You look beautiful by the way. But I also think you look beautiful with mud on your knees and twigs in your hair. My badass Kagome, taking down demons left and right."

She smacked him on the arm, laughing at the cheeky fanged grin he gave her. "You're easy to please." She ran her hands down his chest, straightening the opening of his yukata, smoothing out the fabric. "You look very handsome. Red is definitely your colour." She looked down at his bare feet. "No geta?"

"Do I have to?", he whined. "Mama bought them for me, but they're ridiculous, I can't move in them."

"Where are they?", Kagome asked. He pointed behind the Goshinboku. She grinned at him, and said in a conspiratorial whisper, "Wear them for the photos, and we'll ditch them as soon as we leave the others behind. I don't care if you have bare feet."

He breathed out slowly in relief, and after retrieving them and placing the rather clumsily on his feet, said in a conversational tone, "So, Kagome, what's a gynaecologist?"

Kagome blanched a little. This was not the conversation she had expected to have before a romantic date.

By the time the explanation was over, and Inuyasha had learnt more than he ever thought he wanted to know about the workings of the female reproductive system, Mama, Souta and Grandpa had made their way out to the Goshinboku. The sun was just beginning to set.

"Shit", muttered Inuyasha, looking towards the horizon, "I forgot to tell Mama about the New Moon."

Kagome looked at him, horrified that she hadn't realised what night it was. She reached out to him gently. "Inuyasha, I'm so sorry, I lost track of time! I should have remembered."

Inuyasha grinned at her. "That's okay Kagome, you've had rather a lot to deal with lately. I promise I won't hold it against you this time."

After smacking Inuyasha on the shoulder again, Kagome looked towards her mother. "Mama, I don't want you to freak out", she said in a calm voice.

"Why should I freak out dear?", asked Mama, looking towards the pair. As the sun slipped down over the horizon, she gasped in astonishment as she watched Inuyasha's silver hair morph from silver to black, his eyes darken from amber to brown, and his twitching ears slide and disappear from the top of his head. She moved towards him, her face filled with dismay.

"Inuyasha, are you hurt? Is this some sort of curse? Your beautiful ears, where did they go?" Sounding almost tearful, she passed her hands over the top of his head. "Inuyasha, you have no ears!"

"Calm down, Mama", he said gruffly, embarrassed by her emotional outburst. "I have ears, see?" He tucked his hair behind one very pink, very human ear.

"I don't understand", said Mama, looking between Inuyasha and Kagome.

"It's okay Mama", said Kagome. "Inuyasha is a half demon, remember? So on one night a month, he is human. It's dangerous for him in his time", she added, "but here, I think it's going to be okay." She smiled at Inuyasha, taking his hand. "At least the noise and the smells at the festival won't bother you so much."

"Yeah," he muttered grumpily, "but the food won't taste as good".

Souta and Grandpa were still looking at the human version of Inuyasha, slack jawed. Souta approached him cautiously.

Inuyasha grinned at him, and Souta immediately noticed the lack of fangs. "Hey squirt, it's okay. It's still me. Nothin' to worry about, see?"

"Does that hurt?", asked Souta nervously. "When you change, I mean?"

Inuyasha rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't like it much, but it doesn't really hurt. All my senses are duller, and I'm not as strong. I can't protect Kagome as much as I want to."

Seeing that Inuyasha was feeling uncomfortable with all the scrutiny of his human appearance, Kagome intervened. "Mama, didn't you want to take photos?"

"Oh yes of course!", said Mama, realising she was still staring at Inuyasha. She patted him affectionately on the shoulder. "I'm very sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable dear. I was just worried… and surprised. Very surprised." She looked uncertainly to the top of his head again. "They will come back, won't they?"

He grinned at her. "They'll be back at sunrise tomorrow."

"Oh good", she sighed. "Not that you don't look cute right now of course!" Still feeling a little flustered, she produced a polaroid camera from her purse. "Okay, seeing you two are already next to the tree, you're up first".

She pointed the camera at them, and Inuyasha looked at it uncertainly. "Kagome, what's gonna happen? Do we need to run?" She giggled at him and entwined their fingers together.

"Don't worry Yash, it's good. Trust me. You'll see what happens in a minute.

"Okay, you ready?", asked Mama. "I'm going to take three, so don't move. Smile!"

Hearing the camera whine, Inuyasha did his best to combat his urge to flee, while Kagome smiled sweetly next to him. When Mama put the camera down, shaking the photos to help them develop, he asked Kagome out of the side of his mouth, "Can I move now?"

"Sure", she said, pulling him by his hand over to Mama. "Can I show him please Mama?"

"That's why I took three", she said. "One is for me, one for you, and one for Inuyasha."

Mama placed the still blank photo in his hands. "Just shake it for a moment. Kagome will show you." She went over to take a photo of Grandpa and Souta together.

Inuyasha copied Kagome's movements, flapping the slick plastic. "Am I doing this right? I don't even know what's meant to happen."

"Look at the picture now, Inuyasha." She turned it over in his hands, and he gasped as a picture of Kagome and himself slowly appeared.

"It's a tiny painting of us!" He looked at her face, and down again at the picture in wonderment. "You look so beautiful; you're smiling!" Kagome giggled at him, loving that he was so excited over something that she took for granted. "Is this what I really look like?", he said, scrutinising the slightly bemused expression of the dark-haired boy standing next to Kagome in the picture.

"Yes, that's really what you look like, for new moon nights anyway. You look very handsome."

Inuyasha looked at the photo again and remembered the painting that Grandpa Higurashi had shown him, that had portrayed him as a demon, teeth bared, claws reaching out for Kagome. He looked at her uncertainly. "Kagome, do you prefer me… this way?"

Kagome reached up and touched his face. "Yash, I just love you. It's only one night a month that you look this way." She put her hand on his chest, feeling the rhythmic thump beneath her palm. "The heart that beats in here is the same as the heart that beats at any other time." She reached up to touch his forehead. "The mind in here, that thinks and worries and loves me is the same as it is at any other time." She softly touched her fingertips to his lips, and whispered "These lips, that kissed me yesterday and today and", blushing a little, "maybe even tonight, are the same. Do you see?" She hugged him, as hard as she could. "I just love you. Do you understand?"

He hugged her back, tucking her head under his chin. "Yeah", he said softly. "I understand."

"Are you ready to go have a good time with me tonight then?", she smiled.

He carefully tucked the photo into his sleeve and grasped her hand. "Ready." And then in an undertone so Mama wouldn't hear, "as long as we can dump these stupid shoes in the first garbage bin we see."


	11. Bon Odori

Kagome giggled as she grasped Inuyasha's elbow, steadying him as he almost overbalanced in the geta he was wearing. A frustrated growl slipped past his lips.

"How are you doing this Kagome?" he muttered, watching as she walked along in the raised platform shoes without any problem, the two wooden teeth making a click-clack noise as they met the hard surface of the footpath.

Kagome laughed quietly into her sleeve as he almost rolled his ankle again. She felt a tiny bit guilty that she was actually enjoying not being the clumsy one for a change. Inuyasha was usually so graceful in the way that he leapt about so effortlessly; it was novel to see him struggling with something physical.

"Practice", she smiled. "Remember, I've been wearing these to festivals since I was a little girl. Maybe Mama should have bought you flat ones, like Souta wears."

She looked behind her to see Mama, Grandpa and Souta bringing up the rear, each in their festival yukata; Grandpa's in traditional indigo stripes, Mama's in swirls of pale blue and silver, and Souta in pale grey with purple dragons and an obnoxiously acid green obi. Souta clumped along noisily in his flat wooden geta; the wooden shoes slowed his usual bouncing a little, but not much. He tugged on Mama's sleeve.

"I love Bon Odori", he chattered excitedly.

Mama smiled at him. "I know you do Souta, you've only told me about ten times."

"I know, but I don't usually get to go out at night and look at stalls. Do you think they'll have the corn on the stick this year? The ones with furikake are the best! And the choco-bananas? Remember how last year I won an extra one playing Janken? That was awesome! And when we find Kenji, we have to go to the Shateki stall. I bet him that I could win a better prize than he could." He raised his arms, imagining holding the rifle and aiming a cork bullet at his chosen prize, grinning at the defeated face of his best friend as the stall owner handed him his winnings.

Inuyasha chuckled at Souta's animated rush of words. "Someone's excited. I didn't understand half of what he said though."

Kagome looked at him puzzled, thinking about what he could mean, and then realised all the things that Souta had talked about; corn, chocolate, bananas, playing Janken, and shooting guns had all arrived in Japan after Inuyasha's time. Wait, when did the Portuguese start trading in Japan? Maybe there were guns. She was a little fuzzy on that one, but now was not the time to be thinking of all the dates she couldn't remember from history class.

Kagome looked around to see if anyone would notice, and then shyly took Inuyasha's hand in hers, lacing their fingers together, smiling as he returned the pressure of her fingers. She was not quite used to the feeling of them being 'together' in public. Sure, she'd held his hand before, but that was as friends, before they were a couple. They were a couple, weren't they? Surely they were, especially after those kisses… A steamy remembrance of the kiss they shared in her bedroom had her mind happily wandering, until an image of a gloating Kikyo holding Inuyasha in her arms superimposed itself. She shook her head, and with a sharp intake of breath dismissed that thought as quickly as she could. Tonight was about having fun together, and she would not let her stupid overthinking brain spoil it.

"Kagome?", asked Inuyasha uncertainly, taking in her sudden head movement and deep breath. He cursed the fact that his hearing wasn't good enough to check her heartbeat, that he couldn't smell if she was worried or scared. If only he had his usual heightened perception, he would have more of a clue about what might be troubling her.

She smiled back at him, ignoring his concerned look. "I could explain all the things that Souta mentioned, but it would be much more fun to show you." She shook the small pink and red drawstring purse dangling from her wrist, coins jingling. "Mama gave me some money to spend, so we're going to try everything!"

Inuyasha drew a plain black drawstring bag out of his obi sash. "Your Grandpa gave me some paper he said I could use to buy things for you; I wasn't sure if he was joking or not."

Kagome grinned. "We use paper money in this time, as well as coins. If Grandpa gave it to you, I'm sure it's fine." Inuyasha still looked a little unsure. "What's up?" she asked, squeezing his hand.

Inuyasha frowned, tucking the small bag back into his obi. "He said it was in payment for all the help I gave him clearing up his shed. Why would he pay me? I didn't help to get something for it. Mama asked if I could help him, and even though he can be an annoying old fart, he's not that bad, I didn't mind." His thoughts drifted back to Grandpa's tearful face, begging him to protect Kagome. He rubbed the back of his neck, his uncertain eyes back on Kagome, asking for reassurance. "I'm not sure it feels right."

Kagome rubbed her thumb over the larger hand clasped in hers consolingly. "Yash, I'm sure it's fine. He wouldn't have given you any money if he didn't want to. Even though he won't admit it, he's not as strong as he used to be, and he would never ask Mama to carry something heavy that he couldn't lift himself. He probably really appreciated all your hard work." 

She giggled at Inuyasha's self-consciously muttered "Keh" at her words of praise. A sudden increase in the level of noise in front of them alerted her, and she moved her attention back to their surroundings. "Look", she pointed, "we're at the festival!"

The large open field in the middle of the park was covered in rows of small stalls with pathways in between. Even with his dulled senses, Inuyasha could smell a range of different foods, both savoury and sweet. The air was full of the chatter of people, talking and laughing, the sounds of meat sizzling on a grill, sellers calling out to people to buy their wares as they wandered in front of their stall. A group of small children ran past them, laughing, all wearing different masks to hide their faces; only the tengu and kitsune masks were familiar to Inuyasha. Behind all the noise of the festival, the steady thrum and screech of cicadas pulsed in the slowly dissipating humidity and heat of the day, the temperature cooling a little now that night had fallen.

A raised wooden platform stood in the middle of the area, lit by strings of coloured lanterns. A group of people were up there, all dressed in colourful yukata, some dancing and singing, some playing taiko drums to keep the beat. A larger group were clustered in the flat area around the base of the platform, moving in a slow circle around the stage, following the dance steps of the women. Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time.

Kagome squeezed his hand again, bringing his attention back to her. "So, what should we do first? Dancing or eating?"

Inuyasha sniffed the air, his mouth watering a little. "Definitely eating. What sort of food do they have here Kagome?"

They began walking towards the food stalls. Kagome turned as Mama patted her on the arm to get her attention. Souta tugged impatiently on Mama's other arm.

"Kagome, I'm taking Souta off to meet one of his friends, and Grandpa has a Go tournament planned with some of the older men from the library. Have a good time you two. I'm sure you'll bring her safely home Inuyasha."

They both waved at Mama's departing back, and without missing a beat Inuyasha kicked the wooden geta off his feet one at a time and into a nearby bush. Kagome laughed, hiding her loud giggles behind her sleeve. "Feel better?" she chuckled.

"Oh yeah", breathed Inuyasha. "Those weren't shoes, they were torture instruments." He closed his eyes and wiggled his toes in bliss against the soft green grass, cool against his feet after being rubbed a little raw by the fabric straps of the geta.

Kagome smiled, tugging on his hand to lead him over towards the food stalls again. "So, you were asking about the food. They usually serve the same sorts of things every year. I've made you futomaki sushi and inari in a lunchbox before, remember? And Mama's made teriyaki chicken and yaki soba for you at the shrine."

Inuyasha nodded, mouth watering again. "Yeah, I like both a those."

"How about you try some of the things that you haven't had before?" suggested Kagome. "Let's walk around and you can tell me to stop if you want to buy something to eat."

They strolled along the row of food stalls, Inuyasha sniffing as they went. He didn't think much of the okonomiyaki pancake, so Kagome ate most of it. They both ate a serving of takoyaki balls, which Inuyasha didn't mind.

He suddenly sniffed the air and dragged Kagome over to stop in front of a busy stall, the smell of sizzling chicken hovering in the air. Relenting at his pleading look, she bought him two servings of sticky teriyaki chicken, and he ate both, hardly chewing them in his enjoyment of getting them down as fast as possible.

They stopped in front of a stall selling a long yellow vegetable on sticks. "Inuyasha, you should try this! It's corn, you won't see it again where you come from."

"I dunno…" said Inuyasha. He wasn't overly fond of vegetables as a rule.

"You'll never know if you don't try it!", wheedled Kagome.

They ended up buying one serving to share. Inuyasha didn't hate it but disliked the way it got stuck in his teeth, so Kagome finished it off.

"That was good", she sighed, patting her stomach. Spotting another stall close by, she dragged Inuyasha off to one side, under the darkness of some tall trees and out of the flow of the crowd.

"Before we go to the next stall, I need to teach you a game", she said. "It's called Janken, and on this stall, if you win, you get an extra serve for free."

She curled Inuyasha's hand into a fist. "This is rock." She opened his hand up flat, thumb upwards, palm facing inwards. "This is paper." She curled his last two fingers and thumb back into his palm, so only his forefinger and middle finger were extended. "This is scissors."

She moved her own hand in a similar way, showing him the rock, paper and scissors again. "The way it works is, paper beats rock, because it wraps it, but rock beats scissors because it blunts them. Scissors beats paper because it cuts it. Do you understand?"

"Is there a sign for water, 'cause that would beat all those things", said Inuyasha. "Scissors would be rusty, paper would be wet, and rock would be worn away."

"Um, no", said Kagome, smiling. "I guess you're right about the water though. But what's the point of that, you'd always win?"

Inuyasha tugged her closer and laced his hands behind her back. "What's wrong with that?" he drawled, pushing her backwards gently so she was leaning up against the trunk of a large tree. "I like winning."

She looked up and gasped a little at the slightly predatory look in his brown eyes as he leant over her, dark hair shadowing his face. She glanced around uncertainly, but no one was paying them any attention.

"If we played now, Ka-go-me, and I won, what would you give me as a prize," he teased huskily, bumping his nose against hers, and smiling at the pink staining her cheeks.

A sound behind them made him sigh and drop his arms from around her, as a group of people made their way over to the trees nearby to find a place to sit and eat their food. He grabbed her hand and led her back to the crowd but turned his head towards her at the sound of Kagome's soft voice.

"Maybe, we could play later Inuyasha", she smiled, biting her bottom lip suggestively. Inuyasha groaned a little, and turned back towards the crowd, trying not to think about those little white teeth pressed against the soft skin of her lip. Wench! She totally knew how much he liked that. He squeezed her hand, trying to get his thoughts back onto food and away from other activities he'd like to be doing with his mouth right now. Memories of that heated kiss in the bedroom that Mama had interrupted came to mind, and he surreptitiously adjusted himself, wishing the pants he was wearing underneath his yukata were as loose as his usual hakama.

Kagome's heart was beating fast. Would he have kissed her under the tree, with all these people around? She wasn't quite sure how she felt about that. Part of her writhed a little in embarrassment at the thought that someone she knew might see her kissing in public, but another part, the part that ran on adrenalin and had guided her to bite her lip, was more than a little excited by the idea.

They made their way over to the choco-banana stall where Kagome paid for a banana and asked if she could try to win a free one. The seller, a muscular looking man in his late twenties, winked at her.

"Sure thing cutie", he said smiling. "If I win, do you think I could get your phone number too?"

Kagome's eyes narrowed, but before she had the chance to say anything Inuyasha stepped in front of her, blocking her from the seller's view. He held out his fist in the rock shape, ready to take her place.

"Oho, a little man steps up to the plate instead of his girl", teased the seller. "Alright buddy, let's see what you got."

Inuyasha glared at the man, as Kagome whispered the right words to say in his ear.

"Saisho wa guu!" they began and then, "Janken Pon!" The sellers hand moved to the shape of scissors, while Inuyasha's hand stayed steady as a rock.

The seller grinned good naturedly. "Looks like luck's on your side little man", he said, handing another chocolate covered banana on a stick to him.

Inuyasha took the banana in one hand and Kagome's hand in his other. Leading her away, he glanced over his shoulder at the seller and said nonchalantly, "Luck's got nothin' to do with it, old man. My fist always wins." He bit into the banana, making a face at the mushy texture, but had to smile at Kagome's hysterical giggles.

"Maybe I should teach Janken to Kouga too", she teased, as soon as she had calmed down.

"Nah, not worth it. I already know how to beat him with my fist", said Inuyasha in a dry tone, setting off Kagome's giggles again. After a few more exploratory bites, he decided he liked the banana after all, and finished off the rest of his before Kagome had a chance to eat more than a few mouthfuls.

"Hey Kagome, do you think they sell shaved ice around here anywhere?" he asked.

"Shaved ice?", she repeated, her voice muffled around her last mouthful of banana. She glanced around, then pointed to a long line of people waiting in front of a colourful stall. Blue, red and white banners on the front of the stall flapped in the evening breeze that was starting to cool down the heat of the day, but the dip in the temperature didn't seem to have any effect on the amount of people wanting to buy a frosty treat.

"Are you sure you want to wait in line?" asked Kagome. "I'm starting to get a little full anyway. We could go over and try a couple of the games instead if you like?"

"Nuh uh", said Inuyasha, pulling Kagome over to take their place at the end of the line. "I wanna buy some for you." Seeing the questioning look in Kagome's eyes, he blushed a little and muttered, "Your mama said your papa bought her shaved ice to eat the first time they were at a festival together, and I wanna buy some for you, alright?"

Kagome stepped closer to him, squeezing his arm. "Thanks Yash. I'd really like that", she whispered, her eyes bright. She was more than a little touched that he would think of doing something like that.

She rested her head on his shoulder for a moment. This soft side of him, that she had only just discovered, would it all go away once they went back to the past? She knew that private moments together would be few and far between, especially travelling with first class gossips like Miroku, Sango and Shippou, but she hoped that there would still be some moments. An image of Kikyou popped into her head again, and she pushed it away angrily.

She shifted from one foot to the other, leaning on Inuyasha a little more as they slowly moved forwards in the line.

"What's up wench?", asked Inuyasha, taking in the way she was leaning to one side, resting her weight against him. "Your leg's hurtin' ain't it. Do you need to go home?"

Kagome sighed, smiling at him. "I can't get anything past you, can I dog boy? It aches a little, but I think I'll be okay if I sit down for a while. Besides, we can't go home yet. Dancing, remember?"

Inuyasha ignored her teasing look and his sharp eyes spotted an empty bench not too far away, under the cover of the trees at the edge of the park. During the day it would be a shady place to sit out of the sun, but now it looked peaceful and calm, away from the hustle and bustle of the festival. He pointed it out to Kagome. "Go sit down now, and I'll wait in line. I'll bring it over to you."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"It's not rocket science", Inuyasha huffed. He wasn't exactly sure what that phrase meant, but Kagome often said it when she thought something would be easy, so it seemed applicable. "Go sit down, before your leg starts hurting more."

Smiling at his use at one of her modern phrases, she did as he asked, limping a little as she went. She sat down on the bench and stretched her injured leg out. Her thigh did hurt, a dull ache with a pulling, tugging feeling deep within the muscle which she was sure had to do with her body healing, but there was no way she was going home. She was having a wonderful time with Inuyasha, talking and laughing, just like a normal couple would. She smiled a little at that thought. Normal was the last word that she would use to describe their relationship, but there was nothing she wanted more.

She must have been thinking for longer than she realised, because when she looked up again, Inuyasha was standing in front of her, two paper cups of ice held in his hands.

"Here", he said, holding hers out with a slightly sheepish expression, "I forgot to ask what flavour you wanted, so I got all of them."

Kagome looked at the veritable rainbow of ice in his hands. Strawberry, melon, lemon, mango, lime and bright blue syrup decorated the ice in thin stripes. "It's beautiful! I never would have thought to get more than one flavour, but now I can try them all!" She plunged the small spoon into the blue ice at the edge and licked her lips at the sticky sweet flavour. "What did you get Inuyasha?"

'The red one", said Inuyasha, looking at the ice a little uncertainly. He'd never seen food quite this… bright… before.

"You need to eat it quickly, or it will melt", laughed Kagome.

Inuyasha plunged his spoon into the centre of the paper cup and shovelled a full spoon of ice into his mouth. "Cold!", he coughed, spluttering a little. Then the intense sweetness of the red syrup burst across his tongue, and he looked up at Kagome, wide eyed.

"Are you okay?"

"It's a little sweet", he said huskily, coughing again. He'd never been grateful for not having his full range of senses before, but if it tasted this strong to him right now, he didn't want to think at how it would have tasted on a normal night.

"It's okay if you don't like it you know" said Kagome cheerfully, shovelling spoonfuls of the syrupy sweet ice into her mouth. "We don't all have to like the same things. I don't like pickled ginger the same way that you do."

Inuyasha sat the cup of ice down on the bench carefully, and watched Kagome eat hers. She had eaten a third of the way through, careful to not mix her flavours, her eyes closed in enjoyment to savour the treat. A sudden idea made him smile.

"Hey wench, can I have that for a moment?" he asked, tugging on her paper cup of ice.

"Hey, get your greedy hands off!" joked Kagome. "Did you want to try a different flavour Inuyasha?"

"No, I just thought of a game", said Inuyasha, holding her icy treat carefully in his hands. "You taught me a game, and now I wanna play a different one. Close your eyes."

Kagome looked at him warily. "This game wouldn't involve that cup of ice down the front of my yukata would it?"

Inuyasha grinned wickedly. "Hadn't thought of that one. Thanks for the idea Kagome, maybe I could try that another time", he snickered. He waved the spoon over the flavoured ice. "No, I wanna see if you can guess the flavour without looking."

"Oh." Kagome looked at him carefully for a moment. It was dark over here, away from the lights of the festival, and a little harder to read his expression. He was smiling, but she didn't think he was going to play any tricks on her.

"Don't ya trust me wench?"

Kagome sighed, and closed her eyes, then opened one rapidly to see if she could catch him doing anything sneaky, but all he had done was placed the spoon into the cup.

"Hey, don't cheat!"

Kagome sighed again and closed her eyes.

"You ready?" She nodded. "Open up."

Cautiously opening her mouth, her tongue tingled as Inuyasha delicately placed a spoonful of ice into her mouth. She rolled the flavour around her tongue – it was a little sweet from the syrup, but mostly tart. "Is it lemon? The yellow one?" she asked.

"Good guess Kagome. Lets see if you can do it again. Open."

The next flavour was much sweeter, almost sickly sweet. Kagome rolled it around her mouth again, licking her lips thoughtfully to catch a small drop of syrup that escaped. She couldn't quite guess the flavour as it mostly just tasted of sweet, but remembering Inuyasha's extreme reaction to the taste of the strawberry, she hazarded a guess. "Is it the red one?"

"Hmm, you're good at this, wench. Let's try one more", said Inuyasha a little huskily.

She parted her lips, ready for another spoonful of shaved ice, and almost squeaked in surprise as she felt the heat of Inuyasha's hands on her cheeks, and the warmth of his mouth on hers. He licked at her lips gently, as if asking permission, and she opened her mouth to him, inviting him in. His tongue swept delicately across hers, feeling almost hot after the chill of the ice, teasing her tastebuds with the sweetness of syrup he had eaten earlier. But before she could respond in kind, he was pulling his mouth away, resting his forehead against hers.

"Sorry", he said, panting a little. "I hadn't planned on doing that, but when you licked your lips, you just looked so…fuck Kagome, if we weren't sitting on a park bench surrounded by people..." 

He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his racing heart. When that little pink tongue had appeared between her lips, chasing the bead of syrup spilling out of her mouth, he had wanted to taste her sweetness so badly. He still ached to do it, but after the conversation he had overheard between Kagome and her mother earlier today about taking their relationship slowly, he didn't want to overstep any boundaries. And lets face it, he was running entirely on instinct, no one had ever taken the time to teach him how to treat a girl he wanted. And he wanted Kagome, so fucking much. He took another deep calming breath, in through his nose and out through his mouth. Slow was better. He needed to calm the fuck down.

Kagome stroked him gently on the cheek. "Hey, it's okay. You surprised me a little, but I liked it." He seemed a little less sure of himself compared to earlier today, and she wanted to soothe him, let him know that she loved him no matter what he looked like on the outside.

Her thumbs ran gently over the hardness of his jaw and across the soft skin of his cheek, and his eyes closed as he leaned into her touch. These last few days had shown her an Inuyasha full of contrasts. Boastful and uncertain. Restless and still. Angry and loving. She wanted to get to know him better, experience all of his moods, feel closer to him. If they were going back through the well tomorrow, there would be hardly any chances like this, and she wanted to grasp it with both hands. That one kiss wasn't enough; she wanted more.

She looked down at the almost empty cup of ice. Her cheeks were burning, a little embarrassed at the audacity of her decision to ask him to kiss her again, but she had never been one to back away from a challenge. She glanced quickly around, but she didn't think anyone would notice them here in the gathering dark, when there was so much light and movement over at the festival. And in truth, the idea that there were people close by, made her heart beat a little faster.

Taking a deep breath, she picked up the cup of shaved ice that was beginning to melt in the summer heat. "Look Inuyasha, there's one last flavour left to try." She spooned a large mouthful of the mango flavoured ice onto her tongue and let it melt, watching his expression with her large doe like eyes, licking her lips. Inuyasha eyes followed her tongue as it slowly traced a path around the soft skin of her mouth. Putting the cup and spoon down, she reached her arms out and wrapped them around his neck, smiling a little nervously but with so much love in her eyes. "Would you like to try this flavour too?"

"Fuck it".

Inuyasha didn't waste any more time on words. His hands moved around her waist, fingertips digging into her skin as he drew her close to him, his lips moving against hers in a burning kiss, running his tongue over the softeness where hers had been just moments before. He chuckled against her. "I think I like this flavour most of all."

Kagome's hands moved from his neck to his hair, scratching his scalp, moving upwards towards where his ears usually were.

"Forget what night it was there for a moment did you wench." Inuyasha's hands lifted her, carefully minding her injury, so she was sitting in his lap.

"Sorry", stuttered Kagome. She moved her hands downwards towards the back of his neck again, as his tongue gently teased hers.

"Don't worry 'bout it Kagome", he said softly, kissing her gently. "It still amazes me that you'd want to touch any part of me at all."

Kagome smiled against his mouth, her fingernails softly scratching the skin behind his human ears.

"I like your dog ears" she whispered throatily. "They're sooo soft. And they tell me more about what you're feeling sometimes than your words do." She placed gentle kisses from the corner of his mouth across his cheek, and then gently bit the fleshy ear lobe of Inuyasha's human ear. "But maybe I like these almost as much."

"Hnn, Kagome", he moaned tilting his head back, as she nibbled her way down from his ear to his throat and licked over his pulse, breathing on the wet skin like he had done to her yesterday. "Shit Kagome", he panted. "We're gonna have to take this down a notch."

"Why?", breathed Kagome, kissing a pathway back over to Inuyasha's soft lips. Inuyasha's reaction to her kisses made her feel powerful. She loved that she was able to make him feel a little out of control. It felt a little dangerous, and she liked it. She softly bit down on his bottom lip, teasing him with her teeth.

He answered her with a bruising kiss, his hands on her waist pushing downwards as his hips ground up against her. She moaned into his mouth, her breasts pushing into the hardness of his muscular chest.

"Kagome", Inuyasha groaned, moving his hands from her waist to cup her face gently, and with a loud sigh, pushed her back a little to leave some space between them. He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead.

He smiled at her mutinous expression and ran his fingers through her dark mussed-up curls, trying to neaten it for her.

"Slow down my baby girl, we've got all the time in the world. I don't wanna rush this, okay?"

"I thought you said the other day that I wasn't a baby", pouted Kagome, still breathing hard.

Inuyasha chuckled darkly. "No, you're definitely not a baby."

Kagome moved in his lap, seating herself so she leaned against him, her head on his shoulder. She reached out and twirled one of the dark sidelocks of his hair around her finger. Sighing deeply, her bottom lip trembled, and without really knowing why she was crying, a single hot tear rolled off her cheek and onto the thin fabric of Inuyasha's yukata.

"Kagome?", he asked, tentatively, his lips placing a tender kiss on her hair.

"Tomorrow we're going back through the well", she sighed. "Everything will go back to the way it was before. Miroku and Sango will tease you, and you'll be embarrassed and won't talk to me about stuff anymore. You'll ignore me and go sit in a tree and then run off with Kikyou the first time her soul collectors turn up. My feelings will get hurt about it, and you'll get upset because I'm hurt and get all defensive and say, 'now's not the time to talk about it Kagome', and I'll keep loving you even though it hurts to even look at you. Then I'll remind myself why you should prefer her anyway, because she's beautiful and can actually use her powers properly like a miko should, and can shoot arrows without looking all…

"Whoa, whoa, hold up there a second", said Inuyasha, turning Kagome in his lap so that she faced him. "How did we move from us kissing to you spouting all this crap? Kagome, for someone who's actually very smart, you can really think some stupid things."

Kagome hit him in the arm, hard. "It's not stupid", she hissed, her bottom lip trembling again. "This is exactly what's been going on. Just because you're too obtuse to notice doesn't mean it isn't happening!"

Inuyasha ran his hand down his face, taking in Kagome's defiant but fragile expression. He hated talking about this sort of stuff. It made him feel awkward, because he couldn't find the words to match exactly how he felt, and opening himself up to anyone emotionally was as good as an invitation for them to smack him down again. But this was Kagome. His Kagome. And thinking all this was hurting her.

"I'm not very good at talking about this stuff", began Inuyasha, and then paused, hurt, when Kagome rolled her eyes at him, and sighed melodramatically.

"You know what? Fine", he said, tight lipped. He moved her off of his lap, not roughly, but not with quite the same gentleness as before. "I wanted to talk, but obviously you know better. I mean what would a hanyou know about feelings and relationships and stuff like that when they don't deserve to have them in the first place?"

"That's not what I meant, and you know it you jerk! You always make that excuse, that you're not good at talking about feelings."

"For fucks sake Kagome, I say it because it's the truth!" He stood and began pacing in front of the bench, his hands clenching and unclenching in fists by his sides. He glared at her.

"You wanna know why I never spoke to you about Kikyou? Even with you prodding me with hints about it all the time?" He chuckled, but his voice had no humour it it. 

"I didn't talk about it because I didn't know what to say. Because I didn't know how I felt! How was I s'posed to put it into words if I couldn't even get it straight in my own head?" He went back to pacing stiffly in front of her. "She was dead, and then she was alive. She was a sweet gentle person who I loved, and now she's a homicidal bitch, but it's not her fault because she never asked for this. She never asked for any of this." 

He halted his pacing to stand directly in front of Kagome, leaning over her as she gazed up at him with wide eyes from her seat on the bench. "I can't just leave her alone! She doesn't deserve that. I know what it's like to be lonely Kagome, to have not one fucking person in your corner to care about whether you live or die. I can't do that to her."

Kagome reeled back as if Inuyasha had slapped her, and slid off the bench to the ground, her arms wrapped around her knees. There was a faint noise of static in her ears, and she felt dull, lifeless, emotionless. A sharp pain blossomed in her chest, as if her heart were actually cracking. How had it all gone so wrong?

"I understand", she said in a monotone voice. "You choose her."

"Dammit Kagome!" Inuyasha dropped to the ground in front of her, placing his palms on her cheeks. When she tried to pull away, he held onto her more strongly. "No Kagome", he growled. "This ends right now!"

At the word 'end', she couldn't help the fat tears that began pouring down her cheeks, or the sobs that constricted her chest. She didn't have it in her to fight anymore. 

"If you were always going to go back to her, why did you kiss me?", she moaned. "Why did you let me believe I had a chance at all?" She slumped forward and didn't even struggle when Inuyasha pulled her onto his lap.

"Stupid wench", he muttered, his own voice thick with emotion. He tucked her head under his chin, rocking gently to try and calm her sobs. "You better listen now and listen good to what I have to say. I'll say it every day, every hour, every minute if I have to, until you get it into that pretty little head of yours." He took a deep breath.

"When I look at Kikyou, I see death. I see sadness and regret. I see a woman I once cared about who has been abused by evil through no fault of her own, and I can't help but want to set her free, but that's all I want. When I look at her, I see my past. But my Kagome, when I look at you…" his voice choked for a moment, and he cleared his throat.

"Kagome, when I look at you, I see strength. I see determination to put things right, even if the odds are stacked against you. I see caring and empathy for others, no matter who they are. I see the first real friend I ever had."

He kissed away the tears that were slowly rolling down Kagome's face. "I see an inner fire that makes me want to fight for you and keep you safe. I see a heart that beats for me, like mine beats for you." He kissed her on the lips tenderly and gazed into her eyes. "I was born to find you Kagome. When I look at you, I see my future. I don't know what else I can say to prove to you how much I love you."

Kagome threw her arms around Inuyasha's neck and hugged him tight. She started crying again, but these tears were healing and happy, not the choking sobs of despair that she had been crying before.

"Oi, stop it with the waterworks wench. I'm pretty sure your mother has a machine for washing clothes, we don't need your tears to do it."

Kagome giggled through her tears and sat back to look into Inuyasha's face. His eyes were red, and he sniffed a little self-consciously. He dabbed at her damp face with his sleeve.

"You're all snotty again wench, but I don't have any tissues to blow your nose for you."

"That's okay", smiled Kagome. "I think I have some in here." She opened up the tiny drawstring bag, and after producing house keys, a phone, lip balm, coins and notes, and band aids, she finally produced a small package of tissues.

"It's like a tiny version of the yellow backpack", said Inuyasha in wonder. "Do you have a medical bag in there too? A packed lunch? Change of clothes?"

Kagome slapped his arm. "Quiet, you." She blew her nose loudly, and then placed everything back in the little bag. "You do realise that I'm never going to believe you again, when you say that you're no good at talking about feelings."

Inuyasha rubbed the back of his neck. "That was a one-time event. Never to be repeated. I don't have anything left in me to say."

"Oh really?", teased Kagome, snuggling up to his chest. "I thought you were going to tell me every day, every hour, every minute?"

He scoffed, wrapping his arms around her. "You get the short and sweet version."

"And what's that?"

"I. Love. You. Kagome."

"I like it. Short and to the point."

Inuyasha kissed the top of her head. "I don't know how good I'll be at saying it in front of other people who aren't you though", he said cautiously.

Kagome rubbed her face into his chest, and sighed happily. "That's alright. I'm the only person who needs to hear it." Then she popped her head up and stroked his cheek. "You know that I love you too Yash, right?"

He smiled at her a little mistily. "After all that, I should hope so."

Kagome snuggled back into his chest, drawing circles on his chest with her forefinger. "So, Inuyasha, are you ready to go dancing now?"

Inuyasha flopped backwards, so he was lying flat in the grass, taking Kagome with him. "You're joking right?" he whined. "After all that, my stomach feels like I've just had Sesshomaru's fist through my gut again. I'm not dancing Kagome, and you can't make me."

She leaned over him, eyes dancing. "I'll buy you some more teriyaki chicken?" she said in a wheedling tone.

Inuyasha moaned loudly but sat them both back up again. "You drive a hard bargain wench. Okay. Just one dance, right? Can we go back to the shrine after that?"

"One teriyaki chicken. One dance. Then home. Sounds like a plan." Kagome put her hands on Inuyasha's shoulders and pushed herself to her feet, hissing a little when her thigh pulled again.

"Kagome, maybe we should…"

"No way!", she said, pointing her forefinger at him. "You said dancing! This is probably the only time I will ever get you to agree to this, so I'm not giving up. You can just carry me home."

"Fine", he groused getting to his feet himself. "I should get two servings of chicken then. Gotta keep my strength up."

They dusted each other off, making sure they looked mostly presentable, before venturing back into the light and noise of the festival. After pausing to buy two servings of teriyaki chicken for Inuyasha, which he wolfed down with a speed that amazed people around them, and a quick stop at the sweet stall so Kagome could buy a gift each for Miroku, Sango and Shippou, they ventured over towards the dancing at the centre of the field. Standing at the edge of the action, watching Souta mucking around with his school friends was Mama Higurashi.

"Ah, I wondered where you two had got to. I haven't seen you all evening. Where were you?"

Inuyasha pointed behind him, towards the edge of the park. "Talking."

Mama fished a leaf out of Inuyasha's hair that Kagome must have missed in the dark and held it up for his inspection. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he smiled at her a little sheepishly.

"Mostly talking."

Stepping in to rescue him, Kagome said, "We were talking. I just had some questions about how things were going to be when we went back through the well tomorrow."

"Ah, I see", said Mama. "And did Inuyasha answer your questions?"

"Definitely", she said, leaning against his shoulder. The look of love that she gave him nearly stopped Mama's heart.

"So Inuyasha", Mama said in a teasing tone, "I take it that you two are a couple now?"

"A couple?", he repeated cautiously, as if not quite understanding the meaning of the word. He reached down and took Kagome's hand. "Wherever Kagome goes, I will follow. Doesn't matter where, doesn't matter when."

"Ah", smiled Mama. "That definitely sounds like a couple to me. Congratulations." She pushed them both a little, so they moved out into the flow of dancers. "Go dance you two. The festival will be over soon. Dance while you can!"

She laughed at them both, Inuyasha doing his best to copy Kagome's movements, and Kagome getting them wrong because she was laughing too hard.

Smiling, Mama looked up at the stars. "Doesn't matter where, doesn't matter when huh." She breathed out slowly, unsure of what the future would bring. "Toshi, maybe you could keep an eye on the for me when they're out of my reach. And save a dance for me, dear heart. I will be coming to find you again, some day."

She turned her gaze back down from the heavens to laugh at the capering of her small son, weaving in and around Kagome and Inuyasha, laughing as Inuyasha finally picked him up and threw him over one shoulder to keep him out of the way. She didn't know what the future would bring, but she would not let that uncertainty take away the fleeting moments of joy that caring for her growing family could bring.


	12. After the Festival

Kagome walked into the kitchen after kicking her shoes off and placing them neatly in the shoe rack near the back door, relieved that her doctor's appointment was over. It hadn't been the worst thing she'd ever experienced, but it wasn't the most comfortable either. Even though the female gynaecologist had been friendly and gentle, the whole process of someone else chatting to you while touching you… there… was a little daunting. She was glad Mama had been there with her, even if the whole appointment had just been embarrassing.

But at least now it was over and done with. She'd left the doctor's office with a prescription for a three-month supply of the pill, and once Mama had dropped her off at the bottom of the shrine steps, she'd driven off in the car to get the prescription filled along with a few last-minute supplies for them. Kagome sighed in relief. A little time to relax before Inuyasha decided it was time to go through the well was just what she needed.

Inuyasha's amber eyes met hers as she entered the kitchen while the rest of him was kept busy by noisily slurping a bowl of instant ramen. He'd gotten quite good at making it himself over the last few days; he'd been so proud of himself the first time he'd boiled the kettle and made her some, almost like he'd brought home a kill that was ready to be cooked on the campfire.

Kagome watched him eye her carefully as she refilled the kettle and put it on the stove to boil for a cup of tea. She sat down at the table across from him, squirming a little when her bottom hit the seat. She knew he understood where she'd been and had a rough idea of what might have happened; Kagome's self-conscious explanation last night of what a gynaecologist was and what they did had ensured that neither of them would soon forget. Embarrassment coloured her cheeks as she dropped her gaze to the kitchen table, twisting her fingers together a little self-consciously while she waited for the kettle to boil.

Inuyasha cleared his throat, putting down his chopsticks while his canine ears lowered slightly. "Kagome… you okay?" he asked uncertainly. Kagome sighed, wincing a little as she shifted in the hard kitchen chair. He looked at her uncomfortably, ears drooping even further. "You wanna… talk about it?" he asked quietly, practically radiating unease.

She lifted her head to smile at him. Even though he was uncomfortable, the concern in his amber eyes made her heart sing, and she felt a wash of affection for him. "No thanks, Yash, I'll be fine in a minute. Just finish your ramen."

The immediate perking up of his snowy white ears combined with the look of relief on his face as he snatched up his chopsticks and began slurping noodles again made her snicker. There was her dog boy. Just because they'd talked about their relationship last night didn't mean a situation like this wouldn't feel awkward.

She knew their conversation last night was partially made possible due to his human emotions being more pronounced during the night of the new moon, but she couldn't help feeling relieved that he had at least given her a glimpse into how he felt. In some ways it hadn't changed anything – Kikyou would still be there, and she knew that Inuyasha would feel honour-bound to leave camp and see her whenever she sent her soul collectors to find him. But in others, it had changed everything. He loved her. He had said she was his future. She just hoped that remembering that moment would hold her together when he disappeared off into the darkness alone. She trusted him with her life; she would just have to trust him with her heart as well.

Kagome cradled her chin in her hands, elbows resting on the table as she smiled at him indulgently. She watched him slurp his ramen, the broth dripping off his chin and back into the bowl as he sucked in a huge amount of noodles noisily. Feeling her gaze, he looked up.

"Wa?" he asked indistinctly, swallowing his mouthful and licking his lips.

"Was everything okay when you went and checked on everyone in the village this morning? Did you tell them we'd be heading out again today?" asked Kagome, eyes crinkling in amusement at the sight of the broth trickling down his chin. When her dog boy enjoyed something, he really threw himself into it.

Inuyasha nodded, then tipped the bowl up to gulp down the last of the broth. He wiped his chin with the back of his hand and pushed the chair back with a squeak to deposit the empty bowl and chopsticks in the sink.

"They're fine". He turned to lean against the edge of the sink so he could still see her, tucking his hands into his capacious sleeves. "Shippou was bein' a pain in the ass getting in everyone's way, but they should be ready to go once we get there. Plus, we should stop at Kaede's before we go. Miroku said she had a new supply of medicinal herbs for us to take. He also said there was a traveller staying in the village; apparently, he'd talked about villages that were bein' attacked in one of the North-Eastern provinces. Said there were some graves disturbed too."

"Graves?" questioned Kagome, getting up quickly to rescue Inuyasha's ears as the kettle began its high-pitched scream for attention. Taking it off the heat, she watched the fuzzy appendages stand up again as the whistling ceased. She took her time making her tea, watching the water change from clear to caramel as she poured it into the cup and over the teabag of roasted green tea leaves. The hot liquid swirled as she stirred it slowly with a teaspoon, the sweet aroma wafting upwards. She knew once they went through the well there would be no time to rest. She just wanted to enjoy these last few moments of peace before they began travelling again.

She came out of her reverie as Inuyasha continued the conversation in between mouthfuls of noodles. "Mm. Don't know whose though. Miroku seemed ta think it might be worth lookin' into, since the attacks began around the same time the graves being disturbed."

Inuyasha watched Kagome's movements critically as she walked back to the table, cradling her cup of tea in her hands. She was still limping, but he knew if he suggested they delay their return she would get all huffy, and he didn't want that. Not when they finally seemed to be on the same page.

In some ways this week had been terrible – he had been so worried about Kagome when she was injured, and their journey here had been dramatic to say the least. But that worry had finally given him the courage to admit his feelings to her, and he couldn't be happier. Everything was out in the open. Kagome's family had accepted him, a hanyou. He tried not to think of the conversation he'd overheard between Kagome and her mother last night or the specifics of where she'd been this morning. He still felt overwhelmed just kissing her and holding her hand. Thinking about more than that was a little too much for him yet.

The evening spent together last night at the festival had been wonderful. It had given him a glimpse of what a relationship with Kagome might look like after they were free from this mission of theirs. He snorted internally. Not much in their way really; just the not so small matter of Naraku, the still shattered shikon jewel, and Kikyou.

Inuyasha watched Kagome sip her tea, her eyes closed in enjoyment as she savoured the taste. He was pleased that the colour had finally returned to her cheeks. Maybe they'd be able to take things a little slower as she healed, but he knew there was no guarantee. Naraku could make a move at any time, and there was still that weirdly ominous warning from Kagura that they hadn't had time to investigate. He wondered if Kikyou might have heard anything about it.

He sighed, his thoughts wandering. Kikyou hadn't been seen for months. But she was obviously still somewhere, because Kagome hadn't said anything about the missing part of her soul being returned. It's not like she could hide something like that, and he knew she wouldn't, at least not from him. He just hoped his wench understood the full extent of his feelings for Kikyou after their conversation last night.

He really wished he could box up and put away the gentle adoration he had felt so long ago in a sacred place in his heart to mourn Kikyou properly. If he compared them, he knew the love he felt for Kagome was different to what he'd felt for Kikyouu. He'd always felt like he didn't deserve to be near Kikyou. It always felt like she was simply doing him a favour by letting him get close to her, that she was really just waiting for him to mess up and give her a reason to ruin their tentative relationship. And the relationship had come with strings attached: that he give up who he was, become human to be at her side.

At the time he'd believed Kikyou to be flawless, that losing himself was worth a life with her. But now that he had someone to compare her to, he understood that he had put her on a pedestal. They'd never even kissed fifty years ago, yet he had been ready to throw half of his identity away. Their relationship had never been equal, but that was his own fault. Her kindness and caring nature had been real, and at the time, he had just wanted to be with her, had ached for her companionship more than anything else. But that was his past. Right here, right now, he wanted to move on and give all of himself to Kagome. But he couldn't. Not yet.

It was like being haunted, the original feelings of his first love turned into an unwholesome festering wound that wouldn't heal. He finally understood now after their previous interactions that his Kikyou was mostly gone. All that remained was an empty clay shell fuelled by her worst emotions; bitterness, hatred, and a warped version of Kikyou's original confidence that implied she knew best; she knew what was right, what was proper.

But still, that clay husk wore Kikyou's face and remembered their time together before her death. He felt sorrow that they had both been tricked by Naraku because of their lack of trust in each other. He pitied her current circumstances. He owed her peace, he owed her that much. Before he could truly feel that he belonged to Kagome, that he deserved Kagome, he needed to settle things with Kikyou and let her know how he felt. That he loved Kagome. He knew she would probably react badly and was terrified that she might harm Kagome as some form of retaliation. His Kikyou would never have done such a thing, but this one might. She had threatened Kagome before. It was a difficult situation; he knew he wouldn't allow Kikyou to hurt Kagome, but at the same time he knew he wouldn't be able to bring himself to harm Kikyou, clay husk or otherwise.

"You okay Inuyasha?"

Kagome was scrutinising him with a piercing gaze, her tawny brown eyes peering at him over the rim of her teacup, eyebrows raised a little in worry. He huffed out a short, sharp sigh.

"Yeah". She raised one eyebrow at him, and he grumbled a little in irritation. "S'nothin', Kagome. Drop it."

"If you say so", she said quietly, lowering her gaze back to her teacup. There was a slight edge to her voice, and he realised that he had probably hurt her feelings by not immediately spilling his guts like he had last night at the festival. Stupid blabbermouth human night. He ran his claws through his silver bangs in an irritated fashion.

"I just… I was thinkin' that on this side of the well things are easier, less… complicated", he muttered gruffly, looking towards the open back door and the little hut that housed the well in Kagome's time.

"Oh."

Her barely audible response sounded a faint warning bell in his mind, and he straightened his back, crossing his arms across his chest. "What's that s'posed to mean?" he sniped; his tone more curt than he intended.

Kagome put her half empty teacup down on the table carefully, got to her feet, and walked towards him, her expression carefully blank. She gently pulled his arms apart so she could lean against his chest and rubbed her cheek against the short rough fur of his firerat suikan.

"Inuyasha? Do you want to leave our feelings on this side of the well?"

Inuyasha stiffened, trying to examine her expression, but she had tucked her face into his chest; all he could see was a head of blue-black curls. Though her voice was a little muffled, he could still hear her clearly.

"I understand if you don't want to let anyone know... if you want to keep our relationship hidden for now", she said calmly, tentatively. "I know you don't like others talking about your feelings; it might make things difficult. Miroku and Sango would tease us, Naraku could try to use this against us, and Kikyou…"

"Is that what you want Kagome?" Inuyasha asked tensely. He held his arms straight by his sides with strained effort, wanting instead to grab her shoulders and shake some sense into her. He could feel her sharp intake and release of warm breath against his chest. He could hear her heart as it began to thud more rapidly in response to his question.

"N-No." The slight wobble of her voice had his arms reaching around her and pulling her form tightly to his.

"Then why do you think I would want that, silly girl?" he huffed, kissing the dark curls on the top of her head. "What did I tell you last night Kagome?" She made an incoherent noise, her face remaining hidden. "I said that I love you. And that's not something I can just switch off and on. I don't care what anyone thinks. Fuck the others."

"No, thank you." The teasing lilt to her voice and cheeky grin on her face made him release a bark of laughter, and he picked her up and whirled her around the kitchen until she was laughing too. He grinned at his achievement; his day just didn't feel right until he'd heard Kagome laugh. He plonked her back onto her recently vacated chair.

"I'm sorry Yash", she said, still giggling. She stroked his cheek as he let go of her waist. "It's just that... I know that talking about emotions isn't the easiest thing for you. I didn't want to make our quest more difficult for you than it already is, so I thought that suggesting that option might help make you feel more… comfortable."

Inuyasha snorted irritably. "You think too much. My feelings for you ain't the problem, Kagome", he replied, booping her gently on the nose with a clawed forefinger as he straightened to stand next to her. He parked his butt against the edge of the table, letting it take his weight as he moved closer. "In fact, those feelings are the easiest thing about this whole damned mess. It's not hard to love you." The beaming smile she rewarded him for his words made the slight embarrassment rising in his cheeks totally worth it. A tight knot in his chest felt like it was loosening.

Kagome sipped her now tepid tea. "So, what should we tell Miroku and Sango? And Shippou? And Kaede…"

"It's none of their business", he replied gruffly. "Don't have to tell them anythin'. They've got eyes, they'll figure it out." His ears twitched, and he cleared his throat. "Mama's back."

Kagome swallowed the last of her of tea before grinning at Inuyasha. "Guess it's time to get going, huh?" she remarked, standing to take her cup to the sink.

Inuyasha nodded, his brain lurching toward a sudden realisation. Once they went through the well, there wouldn't be as many chances for them to talk like this, just the two of them. As soon as he was in the presence of the others, he'd be tongue tied, he just knew it. He knew he could trust Kirara to give them privacy, possibly Sango too, but the others… forget it. Their privacy would be non-existent with Miroku and Shippou around.

Acting on a sudden impulse, Inuyasha grabbed Kagome around the waist as she walked past, intent on kissing her thoroughly one last time while they had the space to do so; where no nosy monks or impudent kitsunes could get in his way. He used his current position of leaning against the table to his advantage, spreading his legs slightly to allow him to pull her in closely. The strong fingers of one hand cradled the back of her head while the other rested on the small of her back. He lowered his head down to hers, grinning at the surprised expression on her face. At first her lips were tense, but at the touch of his tongue at the corner of her mouth, she melted against him and parted her soft lips. At the sound of her small whimper, he slanted his mouth to kiss her a little deeper, slow and sweet, the gentle sips and licks they shared fuelling the rumbling growl in his chest. His fangs scraped her bottom lip gently, dragging against the soft, moist skin while the hand currently on her back began to creep downwards. The empty cup then slipped from Kagome's suddenly lax fingers, falling to the floor with a loud crash.

The sounds of the china cup smashing against the hard tiles and footsteps just outside the back door brought Inuyasha to his senses. He pulled Kagome upright again and stepped away, smirking at the sound of her rapidly beating heart and the rising pink of her cheeks.

"I'm ba-ack", sang out Mama, her arms laden with a large cardboard box and shopping bags balanced on the top. She smiled at Inuyasha as he grabbed the shopping out of her arms and put the bags and box down on the kitchen bench, relieving her of her burden. She turned to see her daughter, cheeks ablaze, bending down to pick up broken china from the floor.

"Sorry Mama, I broke a cup", Kagome volunteered shortly in answer to her mother's questioning gaze. "Inuyasha surprised me."

Mama smiled over her shoulder at the pair as she began sorting the groceries.

"Never mind Kagome, there are plenty more in the cupboard. I got those last few things on your list." She sighed a little sadly but continued to smile at both of them, masking the usual fears she felt at letting her daughter and the young half-demon she had begun to love like a son venture out into very real danger. "Let's get you two on the road, shall we?"

* * *

 

Kagome sniffed the clear, pollution free air in delight as she carefully used the vines to pull herself up out of the well. Inuyasha grumbled behind her.

"Stop fussing Yash! If I never use my leg for anything, it's never going to get better."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you need to wear yourself out the minute we get back", he argued, adjusting the backpack that was slung over one shoulder to balance the cardboard box filled with ramen on his head and free one arm in readiness to catch her in case she fell. He swallowed as he watched her lean her top half over the well's wooden surroundings. He was exceedingly glad that she'd chosen to wear shorts and not that damn green skirt; the view above him was distracting enough already. "I could 'a just jumped up to the top with you and saved the hassle. Why do ya gotta be so damn stubborn, Kagome?"

She turned to look over her shoulder at him as she carefully swung one leg over the wooden beam surrounding the well to sit astride it, both hands in front of her gripping the wood to steady herself. "I don't know Inuyasha, why do you have to be so stubborn?" Her cheeky grin was replaced by a sudden surprised gasp as a blurred shape hurtled into her shoulder, toppling her off the edge of the well onto the grass and out of view.

Inuyasha snarled, flinging the box and backpack behind him as he leapt out of the well, clawed fingers flexed and ready to defend her. His alarm was replaced with exasperation as he saw Kagome spreadeagled in the long grass with a small kitsune cub clinging around her neck desperately, rubbing his face into the soft fabric of her sky-blue t-shirt.

Inuyasha smelt the tears trickling down Shippou's small cheeks and immediately felt a little guilty that he hadn't come back more often to let them know how Kagome was doing. At first, while she had been in the hospital, he'd come back every day to report on her progress. But once she'd come home to the shrine, he hadn't left her side at all save for this morning. He should have put more thought into how Shippou was feeling.

Shippou lifted his face to look at Kagome. "I thought you were never coming baaaack!" he wailed, bottom lip trembling.

"Of course I was coming back Shippou", Kagome murmured, reaching up to stroke his back and kissing the top of his head to try and soothe his fears. She looked up at Inuyasha, her own eyes filling with tears as she cuddled Shippou close to her chest. "Inuyasha, you told him I was getting better, didn't you?"

"Course I did", he groused, crossing his arms and avoiding her teary gaze. "Oi, Shippou, what did I tell ya about launching yourself at Kagome, huh? You're gettin' too old for this shit – you may still be a little runt, but you're a demon and you're strong enough to hurt her. And you knew she was coming back today, because I told you this morning. So get off her and let her sit up."

Shippou sniffed before jumping backwards off Kagome and wiping his nose noisily on his sleeve. He hung his head, eyes focused on the grass near his paws. "I know", he whispered softly. "But she's never been gone this long before. I was worried she might decide that she liked it there better, where it was safer." His little hands gripped the edges of his fur covered vest as his voice got even quieter. "And… her scent in the sleeping bag had gone stale." Inuyasha's ears lowered even further. He knew exactly how that felt. To be deprived of Kagome's scent while she was on the other side of the well always made his gut churn with anxiety.

"Shippou", said Kagome tenderly, rising to her feet carefully and holding her arms out. "I missed you too."

Shippou looked from Kagome to Inuyasha questioningly, his eyes pleading. Inuyasha gestured for Shippou to jump into his own arms before placing him gently into Kagome's outstretched ones. "Go on then, runt," Inuyasha said roughly, his voice lacking its usual bite. "But be gentle, alright? Her leg isn't completely better yet." He went back to pick up the discarded backpack and box, all the while listening with amusement to Shippou's excited chatter as they walked away from the well. The tiny kitsune brought Kagome back up to speed with all the things that had happened in the village that week, not willing to leave out a single detail.

The pair waited for Inuyasha on the path to the village. Shippou perched on Kagome's shoulder with his little fingers clenched into her shirt, more for comfort than balance. Kagome held out her hand for Inuyasha to hold and after a moment's hesitation and a surreptitious glance at Shippou, he took it, lacing their fingers together and squeezing her palm against his. He looked straight ahead along the path, studiously ignoring Shippou's pointed looks at their clasped hands and his and Kagome's blushing cheeks. A pleased grin split the little kitsune's face; he didn't say anything but snuggled closer against Kagome's neck. He would tease them later. Right now, though, he didn't want anything to spoil Kagome's return.

"I'm glad you're back Kagome", Shippou murmured quietly, sighing a little in contentment as he nuzzled into her neck. Kagome reached with her free hand to pat him gently on his back.

"Me too, Shippou, me too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeep, I know, it's been forever. And this chapter is a bit of a non-event too, with lots of introspection and not much action. But our pair will be back on the road and walking into danger in the next chapter. I've already started writing it, and only a few paragraphs in Miroku has already been hit over the head with Sango's sturdy Hiraikotsu for teasing Inuyasha and Kagome. Will try not to make you wait so long next time! Cheers!


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